Leveraging Symptom Search Data to Understand Disparities in US Mental Health Care: Demographic Analysis of Search Engine Trace Data.

This study demonstrates differences in how people from geographically marginalized groups search on the web for mental health. One main implication of this work is the influence that search engine ranking algorithms and interface design might have on the kinds of resources that individuals use when in distress. Our results support the idea that search engine algorithm designers should be conscientious of the role that structural factors play in expressions of distress and they should attempt to design search engine algorithms and interfaces to close gaps in care.