ArticleFrontiers in psychology2023
Friendship and self-harm: a retrospective qualitative study of young adults' experiences of supporting a friend who self-harmed during adolescence.
Article in Frontiers in psychology, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
What it found
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed.
- Peer-friendship Networks and Self-harm among Adolescents from Inner-city Schools: A Social Network Study.Journal of youth and adolescence · 2026Article
- Young Australian Women's Views on Peer Support for Self-Harm: A Qualitative Study.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025Article
- Co-Developing Content Updates for the Card Sort Task for Self-Harm-Digital (CaTS-D) With People With Lived Self-Harm Experiences: Pilot Study and Thematic Analysis.JMIR mental health · 2025Article
- Exploring Support Preferences for Young Women Who Self-Harm: A Qualitative Study.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025Article
- Article
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Introduction: Self-harm amongst young people is becoming increasingly prevalent. Understanding, responding to, and supporting young people who self-harm is vital. Friends are typically the first and sometimes the only source of support sought by adolescents who self-harm. Despite their important role as confidants, friends' perspectives and experiences remain poorly understood. Methods: We conducted retrospective qualitative semi-structured interviews, prompted by an adapted version of the Card Sort Task for Self-Harm (CaTS-FF), about the experiences of nine female young adults (18-20 years old) who supported a friend who self-harmed during adolescence. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Four themes were developed: (1) "I did not realize my friend was on the road to self-harm": Friends' reactions to self-harm; (2) "That's what friends do": the role of friends; (3) The impact of supporting a friend who self-harms; and (4) "They were quite formative years": reflecting on growth through the experience. Discussion: The present findings highlight the complex experiences of young people supporting a friend who self-harms. Despite being willing to take on the role of a supporter, participants experienced a range of difficult emotions and consequences. The temporal transition running through the four themes reflects the evolving nature of participants' attitudes, knowledge, and friendships. Overall, results highlight the unmet needs of adolescents supporting young people who self-harm, as well as identifying potential pathways to "support the supporters" toward resilience.
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