Young People Temporarily Withdraw From Social Media on Self-Harm Days

New research from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience at King's College London, in partnership with YoungMinds, has examined the image-posting habits on social media of young people who self-harm. The study found that young people temporarily withdraw from posting images on the day they self-harm. The research, published in BMJ Open, highlights a nuanced relationship between young people and their social media use before and after episodes of self-injury, showing that expressions of distress are often mixed with broader themes of support for well-being and connection with other users across varied content, including mental health and humor. Self-harm trends and social media use Self-harm among young people is rising, particularly those with mental health difficulties, and is linked to a greater risk of suicide. While research has suggested that young people may share or engage with harmful content online that reinforces self-harm, other studies report that social media can provide opportunities for peer support and help promote recovery. Young people are increasingly interacting on social media through image-sharing, and this is the first real-world study to analyze what they post during periods of self‑harm. Study design and key findings Bringing together diverse disciplinary perspectives and lived experience, this study aimed to explore how young people express themselves on social media through the images they post during episodes of self-harm, and whether this changes from the days leading up to an event to the days that follow. The analysis focused on a sub-sample of 20 young people aged 13–25 from the 3S-YP study who had actively engaged with self-harming behaviors during the 6-month follow-up period and who provided access to their social media data. Image-posting behavior was examined across a 14-day window around both self-reported and clinically recorded self-harm episodes. No explicit self-harm images were identified, and none of the content endorsed or idealized self-harm. Only a small number of images contained textual references to self-harm or suicidality, and these primarily encouraged help-seeking. Importantly, the young people posted fewer images on the day they self-harmed, and there was evidence of masking and attempts to downplay or distract from distress both before and after an event. These findings may reflect concerns among young people about being stigmatized or about posting content that triggers others but also increased moderation by social media companies. Expert perspectives and future implications "Self-harming in young people is very often a sign of distress. They are people in need of support not only from medical professionals, but also from family and friends. While there are many concerning examples of social media having a negative impact on young people, our study found that—for this particular group—it also offered a way to express difficult emotions and to encourage others experiencing similar difficulties to seek help," says Professor Rina Dutta, Professor in Psychiatry at King's IoPPN, Consultant Psychiatrist at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and the study's senior author. The Youth Participation Team at YoungMinds, said, "This research was incredibly meaningful. It has given our youth advisors a genuine opportunity to shape research through lived experience and to explore the complex ways social media, well-being and self-expression intersect in their lives. The project not only amplified young people's voices but also helped them feel valued as contributors to research that could support and inform better understanding and care for others."