Online stories of self-harm Open

Self-harm is an important public health priority. It comprises both suicidal and non-suicidal behaviours, and reliably predicts future suicide attempts. Self-harm prevalance is also on the rise showing steady increases over the last two decades. This situation is likely to have worsened following the COVID-19 pandemic, with support agencies such as the Samaritans have seen a marked increase in demand. The internet offers an important avenue for supporting people who self-harm, and who may not have the opportunity or capability to access. With more people searching for help online, it is vital that support messages provided are effective and evidence-based. This study aims to provide insight into effective forms of online support messaging for improving mood immediately and in the longer-term, for instance by increasing help-seeking intentions and addressing important psychological factors implicated within the suicidal pathway, such as sense of entrapment. In an online experiment, individuals with a recent history of self-harm, were randomised to read stories that either mentioned: i) self-help strategies, ii) seeking help from informal and formal sources, or iii) did not mention help-seeking. Help-seeking intentions, mood, entrapment, and expectations of future self-harm was measured, and participants provided feedback on the stories.