Background <p>Rates of self-harm and suicide appear to be increasing in young people and many attribute this to social media use. However, high quality studies examining young people’s experiences of self-harm and suicide-related content on social media, and the impact on wellbeing, are lacking.</p> Methods <p>An online national cross-sectional survey was conducted between January and March 2024. Quota sampling was used. Participants from across Australia were recruited from the Roy Morgan Single Source Panel, a panel managed by Pureprofile and via snowball sampling. Descriptive statistics were used to examine respondents’ experiences; logistic regressions examined differences between young people and adults.</p> Results <p>Three thousand five hundred forty-nine individuals (895 young people; 2,654 adults) completed the survey. Just over half had been exposed to self-harm or suicide-related content on social media. Young people were more likely to be exposed than adults (Adjusted OR 3.81; 95%CI: 3.18–4.58). For most people exposure worsened their mood and a minority reported engaging in self-harm as a result; again this was more common in young people (Adjusted OR 4.02, 95%CI: 2.42–6.86). However, many people, in particular young people, reported using social media to seek support.</p> Conclusion <p>There is concern about the impact of social media on self-harm and suicide and our findings support the need for improvements to online safety. However, the fact that people use social media to access help suggests that a nuanced and evidence-based approach is required that includes the perspectives of young people and those with lived experience.</p>

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How do Australian social media users experience self-harm and suicide-related content? A National cross-sectional survey comparing young people and adults

  • Jo Robinson,
  • Louise La Sala,
  • Bridget Kenny,
  • Charlie Cooper,
  • Michelle Lamblin,
  • Matthew Spittal,
  • Caroline Gao,
  • Marina Kunin,
  • Angela Nicholas,
  • Atria Rezwan,
  • Maddox Gifford,
  • Jane Pirkis,
  • Ann John

摘要

Background

Rates of self-harm and suicide appear to be increasing in young people and many attribute this to social media use. However, high quality studies examining young people’s experiences of self-harm and suicide-related content on social media, and the impact on wellbeing, are lacking.

Methods

An online national cross-sectional survey was conducted between January and March 2024. Quota sampling was used. Participants from across Australia were recruited from the Roy Morgan Single Source Panel, a panel managed by Pureprofile and via snowball sampling. Descriptive statistics were used to examine respondents’ experiences; logistic regressions examined differences between young people and adults.

Results

Three thousand five hundred forty-nine individuals (895 young people; 2,654 adults) completed the survey. Just over half had been exposed to self-harm or suicide-related content on social media. Young people were more likely to be exposed than adults (Adjusted OR 3.81; 95%CI: 3.18–4.58). For most people exposure worsened their mood and a minority reported engaging in self-harm as a result; again this was more common in young people (Adjusted OR 4.02, 95%CI: 2.42–6.86). However, many people, in particular young people, reported using social media to seek support.

Conclusion

There is concern about the impact of social media on self-harm and suicide and our findings support the need for improvements to online safety. However, the fact that people use social media to access help suggests that a nuanced and evidence-based approach is required that includes the perspectives of young people and those with lived experience.