ArticleJMIR mental health2017
Exploring the Therapeutic Affordances of Self-Harm Online Support Communities: An Online Survey of Members.
Article in JMIR mental health, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 17 papers.
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Who cites it
17 citing papers in PubMed.
- Experiences of Social Media Platforms' Policies and Restrictions Related to Self-Harm Content: Mixed Methods Study.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Article
- A qualitative study of young migrants' encounters with suicide and self-harm content, connecting and seeking help on social media.Global mental health (Cambridge, England) · 2026Article
- Young Australian Women's Views on Peer Support for Self-Harm: A Qualitative Study.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025Article
- I know i'm not meant to 'diet' but is it ok to lose a few pounds while pregnant?: a qualitative analysis of Mumsnet discussion forum posts to understand women's experiences of and views on weight and weight management while living with excess weight during and after pregnancy.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2025Article
- A mixed studies systematic review on the health and wellbeing effects, and underlying mechanisms, of online support groups for chronic conditions.Communications psychology · 2025Article
- How to create a mindful community of practice: exploring the social functions of group-based mindfulness practices facilitated via Zoom during COVID-19.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Article
- Exploring the Types of Social Support Exchanged by Survivors of Pediatric Stroke and Their Families in an Online Peer Support Community: Qualitative Thematic Analysis.Journal of medical Internet research · 2024Article
- Article
- Young Adults' Perceptions of 2 Publicly Available Digital Resources for Self-injury: Qualitative Study of a Peer Support App and Web-Based Factsheets.JMIR formative research · 2023Article
- Exploring Social Support in an Online Support Community for Tourette Syndrome and Tic Disorders: Analysis of Postings.Journal of medical Internet research · 2022Article
- The Role of Online Support Groups in Helping Individuals Affected by HIV and AIDS: Scoping Review of the Literature.Journal of medical Internet research · 2022Article
- Developing, Deploying, and Evaluating Digital Mental Health Interventions in Spaces of Online Help- and Information-Seeking.Procedia computer science · 2022Article
- Examining the Relationship Between the Use of a Mobile Peer-Support App and Self-Injury Outcomes: Longitudinal Mixed Methods Study.JMIR mental health · 2021Article
- Using Online Support Communities for Tourette Syndrome and Tic Disorders: Online Survey of Users' Experiences.Journal of medical Internet research · 2020Article
- Collective Empowerment in Online Health Communities: Scale Development and Empirical Validation.Journal of medical Internet research · 2019Article
- Article
- "They aren't all like that": Perceptions of clinical services, as told by self-harm online communities.Journal of health psychologyArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundA growing number of online communities have been established to support those who self-harm. However, little is known about the therapeutic affordances arising from engagement with these communities and resulting outcomes.
objectiveThe aim of this study was to explore the presence of therapeutic affordances as reported by members of self-harm online support communities.
methodsIn total, 94 respondents (aged 13-63 years, mean=23.5 years; 94% female) completed an online survey exploring their experiences of engaging with a self-harm online support community. Respondents varied in terms of how long they had been accessing an online community, with 22% (21/94) accessing less than 1 year, 39% (37/94) 1 to 2 years, 14% (13/94) 2 to 3 years, and 24.5% (23/94) more than 3 years. Responses were analyzed using deductive thematic analysis.
resultsThe results of our analysis describe each of the five therapeutic affordances that were present in the data, namely (1) connection, the ability to make contact with others who self-harm for the purposes of mutual support and in so doing reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation; (2) adaptation, that is, how use of online support varies in relation to the personal circumstances of the individual user; (3) exploration, that is, the ability to learn about self-harm and learn about strategies to reduce or stop self-harming behavior; (4) narration, that is, the ability to share experiences, as well as read about the experiences of others; and (5) self-presentation, that is, how and what users present about themselves to others in the online community.
conclusionsOur findings suggest that engagement with self-harm online support communities may confer a range of therapeutic benefits for some users, which may serve to minimize the psychosocial burden of self-harm and promote positive coping strategies. In addition, the online nature of the support available may be helpful to those who are unable to access face-to-face support.
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