Self-Harm and Suicide-Related Communication on Social Media: A Mixed Methods Study

Funded Activity Summary

elf-harm is prevalent among young people and suicide is the leading cause of death among young Australians . One commonly cited explanation for this is the way in which young people use social media to communicate about self-harm and suicide. This mixed methods study will directly address this question by investigating the extent to which Australians see and create content about self-harm and suicide on social media, the positive and negative impacts of seeing and creating content, and their views on how social media companies can make their platforms safer. The methods include a nationally representative sample of over 3,500 Australians, followed by a series of in-depth qualitative intervites. The focus of the qualitative interviews will be with young people who identify as i) LGBTQIA+, or ii) From a migrant background, or iii) having been bereaved by suicide. The information collected in this research will be used to inform further studies, recommendations for policymakers and social media companies, and self-harm and suicide prevention interventions.

Funded Activity Details

Start Date: 01-01-2022

End Date: 01-01-2027

Funding Scheme: Funding Scheme not available

Funder: NHMRC (JR IG)

Research Topics

ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)

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ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)

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