Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 12, 2025
08:53
Integrating Computerized Linguistic and Social Network Analyses to Capture Addiction Recovery Capital in an Online Community
Published on: May 31, 2019
5.2K
Investigating How People Who Self-harm Evaluate Web-Based Lived Experience Stories: Focus Group Study
Lizzy Winstone1, Becky Mars1,2, Jennifer Ferrar3
1Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom.
JMIR Mental Health
|January 31, 2023
Summary
Web-based lived experience stories can support individuals with self-harm, offering motivation and distraction. However, age and authenticity influence their impact, with recovery narratives potentially demotivating older readers.
Area of Science:
- Mental Health Research
- Digital Health
- Qualitative Psychology
Background:
- Web-based content significantly impacts mental health, particularly self-harm.
- Lived experience stories are common online support tools for individuals seeking help.
Purpose of the Study:
- To understand how individuals who self-harm engage with and evaluate online lived experience stories.
- To explore the perceived benefits and drawbacks of these narratives.
Main Methods:
- Four online focus groups were conducted with 13 participants aged 16-40 with recent self-harm experience.
- Participants reacted to example stories and reflected on past encounters with similar content.
- Thematic analysis was used to interpret the qualitative data.
Main Results:
- Five key themes emerged: emotional impact of recovery stories, influence on help-seeking behaviors, reader identification with narrators, perceived authenticity, and the role of language and stereotyping.
- Stories of recovery were found to be motivating but could demoralize older individuals.
- Authenticity and relatable narratives were crucial for engagement.
Conclusions:
- Online lived experience stories offer valuable support for self-harm, potentially motivating readers and reducing urges.
- Narrative age, authenticity, and relatability are critical factors influencing effectiveness.
- Content creators and moderators should avoid stigmatizing language and consider age-appropriateness.
Related Concept Videos
01:28Self-Help Support Groups
69
Self-help support groups are voluntary, community-based organizations that provide a platform for individuals with shared concerns to exchange support, insights, and practical strategies for coping with life challenges. Typically led by group members or paraprofessionals, these groups form a cornerstone of mental health care, especially in reaching populations that are underserved by traditional healthcare systems.
Accessibility and Cost-Effectiveness
One of the primary strengths of self-help...
Accessibility and Cost-Effectiveness
One of the primary strengths of self-help...
69
02:05Self-Presentation: Self-Monitoring and Self-Handicapping
39.2K
People can go to great lengths to protect their self-image and present themselves in ways that they want others to see them. Sociologist Erving Goffman presented the idea that a person is like an actor on a stage. Calling his theory dramaturgy, Goffman believed that we use “impression management” to present ourselves to others as we hope to be perceived. Each situation is a new scene, and individuals perform different roles depending on who is present (Goffman, 1959). Think about...
39.2K
02:57The Sense of Self: Reflected Self-Appraisal and Social Comparison
50.2K
According to Charles Cooley, we base our image on what we think other people see (Cooley 1902). We imagine how we must appear to others, then react to this speculation. We don certain clothes, prepare our hair in a particular manner, wear makeup, use cologne, and the like—all with the notion that our presentation of ourselves is going to affect how others perceive us. We expect a certain reaction, and, if lucky, we get the one we desire and feel good about it. But more than that, Cooley...
50.2K
03:00Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification
5.2K
Social psychologists have documented that feeling good about ourselves and maintaining positive self-esteem is a powerful motivator of human behavior (Tavris & Aronson, 2008). In the United States, members of the predominant culture typically think very highly of themselves and view themselves as good people who are above average on many desirable traits (Ehrlinger, Gilovich, & Ross, 2005). Often, our behavior, attitudes, and beliefs are affected when we experience a threat to our...
5.2K
01:30Community Based Intervention
76
Community-based interventions in mental health represent a paradigm shift from institution-centered care to treatments embedded within the fabric of local communities. By prioritizing inclusion and leveraging existing societal structures, this approach fosters a supportive environment conducive to addressing mental health challenges while promoting individual dignity and agency.
Foundations of Community Mental Health Programs
Central to the success of community-based interventions is the...
Foundations of Community Mental Health Programs
Central to the success of community-based interventions is the...
76
02:16Self-Schemas
31.2K
In general, a schema is a mental construct consisting of a cluster or collection of related concepts (Bartlett, 1932). There are many different types of schemata, and they all have one thing in common: schemata are a method of organizing information that allows the brain to work more efficiently. When a schema is activated, the brain makes immediate assumptions about the person or object being observed.
31.2K