Nonsuicidal Self-Injury on Instagram: Examining Hashtag Trends

Gender dysphoria in adolescence: examining the rapid-onset hypothesis

The sharp rise in the number of predominantly natal female adolescents experiencing gender dysphoria and seeking treatment in specialized clinics has sparked a contentious and polarized debate among both the scientific community and the public sphere. Few explanations have been offered for these recent developments. One proposal that has generated considerable attention is the notion of "rapid-onset" gender dysphoria, which is assumed to apply to a subset of adolescents and young adults. First introduced by Lisa Littman in a 2018 study of parental reports, it describes a subset of youth, primarily natal females, with no childhood indicators of gender dysphoria but with a sudden emergence of gender dysphoria symptoms during puberty or after its completion. For them, identifying as transgender is assumed to serve as a maladaptive coping mechanism for underlying mental health issues and is linked to social influences from peer groups and through social media. The purpose of this article is to analyze this theory and its associated hypotheses against the existing evidence base and to discuss its potential implications for future research and the advancement of treatment paradigms.

Strong Fears, Weak Ties, and Nonsuicidal Self-Injury: Medical Inquiries About Injury, Wound, and Scar Care from a Self-Harm Subreddit

Through the theoretical lens of the Strength of Weak Ties Theory, this study examined medical advice sought within a self-harm subreddit. Using a social constructionist epistemology and employing a Reflexive Thematic Analysis, we explored 596 inquiries for medical advice about nonsuicidal self-injury-related injuries, wounds, and scar care. Five overarching themes were identified: (a) pleading for wound care help from weak-ties, (b) expressing fear of hospitalization deterring requests to strong-ties, (c) seeking validation for harm-reduction from weak-ties (d) asking weak-ties how to navigate unexpected outcomes, and (e) requesting help from weak-ties to conceal wounds, injuries, and scars from strong-ties. Our findings align with previous research by describing Reddit as a valuable resource when strong-ties are inaccessible or unapproachable. They extend the existing literature by highlighting users' frequently asserted preference for online medical inquiries due to stigma and involuntary hospitalization fears often associated with medical and mental health providers. We discuss the need for injury and wound care best practices in accessible spaces while offering theoretical and practical implications for key stakeholders. Given the frequent spread of mis/disinformation on user-generated social networks, we also emphasize the importance of users' verifying the accuracy of medical advice received before implementing suggestions received online from anonymous weak ties connections. Ultimately, this study highlights the nuances between online medical inquiries, social support, and barriers to accessible and empathetic healthcare for individuals engaging in nonsuicidal self-injury.

Assessing the impact of Instagram use and deliberate self-harm in adolescents: A scoping review

The use of Instagram by adolescents to access deliberate self-harm content is a growing concern among scholars, mental health professionals and families, with many adolescents (10-19-year-olds) imitating offline what they have seen online. This scoping review aims to investigate the extent to which Instagram use impacts the mental health of its adolescent users, identifying whether there is a relationship between time spent on Instagram and engagement in deliberate self-harm. The databases, PubMed, Web of Science, Google scholar, APA PsycInfo, CINAHL and child development and adolescent studies were explored, and after applying the inclusion/exclusion criteria, 15 papers were included in this review. Thematic analysis indicated that there was a relationship between time spent on Instagram and deliberate self-harm; desensitization of deliberate self-harm resulting in normalization; social contagion and that Instagram provided a sense of belonging to its users who engaged in deliberate self-harm. Implications of this research is that it is quickly outdated as new social media platforms are developed and that the reliance on self-reports does not have high validity or reliability.

Risky or protective? Online social support's impact on NSSI amongst Chinese youth experiencing stressful life events

BACKGROUND

This study was designed to investigate potential gender differences in the interrelations between different types of stressful life events and non-suicidal self injury (NSSI) among Chinese youth, as well as to test the direct and moderating impacts of online social support on Chinese students' NSSI engagement under the pressure of different types of stressful life events.

METHODS

Based on the data of 2200 students from middle - highschools and universities in Northwestern China, gender difference (male/female binary) in stressful life events, online social support, NSSI and their correlations were analyzed in the study.

RESULTS

Among different types of stressful life events, male students were reported to experience a significantly higher impact of punishment and interpersonal relationship than females. Female students only experienced significantly higher learning pressure than males; Gender difference was not indentified in NSSI among youth; Stressful life events related to punishment could significantly predict NSSI engagement among males. Stressful life events related to learning pressures, interpersonal relationships, and adaption were significantly correlated to NSSI engagement among females; Online social support didn't had a significant direct effect on youth's NSSI, although it did significantly moderate the relationship between specific types of stressful life events (i.e., loss, interpersonal relationships, adaption among males and all types among females) and their NSSI.

CONCLUSION

The present study has provided evidence of specified types of stressful life events being risk factors in affecting youth's NSSI: For male students, the higher impacts of stressful life events related to punishment they experienced, the more likely they were about to engage in NSSI. For female students, stressful life events related to learning pressure, interpersonal relationships and adaption were all proved as significant predictors and risky factors of female youth's NSSI; Online social support did not impact on individual's NSSI engagement directly, but moderated it significantly as a protective factor.