The results showed that young people reduce or temporarily stop posting photos on the day that self-harm occurs.
She explained that young people often express feelings of psychological distress through diverse content that includes mental health, humor, and communication with others, reflecting the overlap between expressing suffering and the desire for support and social interaction.
Self-harm is on the rise among young people, especially those with mental health problems, and this increases the risk of suicide. Some studies suggest that young people may be exposed to harmful content that promotes self-harm, while others indicate that social media can provide peer support and contribute to
Sharing photos on social media is one of the most common forms of interaction among young people, and this study is the first to realistically analyze their behavior during periods of self-harm.
The study aimed to understand how young people express themselves through images on social media before and after episodes of self-harm. The analysis focused on a sub-sample of 20 young people aged 13 to 25 who engaged in self-harming behaviors during a 6-month follow-up period and provided data on their social media posts. Image-posting behavior was examined over a 14-day period close to the time of self-reported and clinically recorded episodes.
No explicit images encouraging self-harm were posted, and the few text references were intended to encourage seeking help.
Young people posted fewer photos on the day of self-harm, with indications of trying to hide or distract from their feelings before and after the incident.
These phenomena may reflect their fears of being stigmatized or of provoking negative feelings in others, in addition to the increasing censorship of content by social media platforms.
Professor Raina Dutta, a professor of psychiatry at King's College London, said: "Self-harm in young people is often a sign of suffering, and they need support from professionals, family, and friends. While there are sometimes negative effects of social media, the study showed that it enables young people to express difficult feelings and encourages others to seek help."
The study was published in the journal BMJ Open.
