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The dark web — an encrypted corner of the internet — has long operated beyond the reach of traditional search engines. Designed to protect anonymity, it attracts users seeking privacy. But new research from Florida Atlantic University’s College of Social Work and Criminal Justice suggests it may also draw individuals facing significant mental health challenges.

In one of the first large-scale empirical comparisons of its kind, Ryan C. Meldrum, Ph.D., lead author and director of the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, analyzed survey data from 2,000 adults. Published in the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, the study examined five mental health indicators among dark web users and those who stick to the surface web.

The findings were striking, according to Meldrum. Dark web users reported significantly higher levels of depressive symptoms and paranoid thoughts. Individuals with suicidal ideation had nearly three times greater odds of reporting dark web use. Those engaging in non-suicidal selfinjury were nearly five times more likely to use it, while individuals who reported digital self-harm (when someone posts critical or demeaning content about themselves) were more than 19 times likelier to be dark web users.

“Our findings suggest that many individuals who turn to the dark web may be doing so not just for privacy concerns, but as a reflection of deeper mental health struggles and the possible desire to socialize and engage in information-seeking in a context free of scrutiny that might otherwise be experienced on the surface web or offline,” Meldrum said.