Visual content on social media can contribute “significantly” to increasing urges to self-harm, especially among young people who are already at risk. A study from the University Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry of MedUni Vienna comes to this conclusion – and therefore sees an urgent need for action.
“These findings underline the need to better prepare young people to deal with such images and provide them with tools to improve their emotional regulation and distance themselves from stressful stimuli,” said study leader Oswald Kothgassner. The study, conducted at the Medical University of Vienna and presented on Monday, was published in the journal “JAMA Network Open”.
Attention bias increases the urge to self-harm
Affected young people are therefore showing increasing attention to images of self-harm on social media. This distortion of attention – the increased and faster fixation of such content – increases the urge to hurt yourself. The researchers therefore urge that prevention and intervention measures be strengthened.
In the study by a research group from the University Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry of MedUni Vienna, 14- to 18-year-olds with and without non-suicidal self-harm behavior (NSSI) were analyzed. Using so-called eye-tracking technology, the direction of gaze and the duration of fixations on various visual stimuli were measured. In addition, reaction times to NSSI images versus neutral images were recorded.
The results show that young people with anxiety “react significantly more strongly to images of self-harm than to neutral content and have difficulty diverting their attention from it,” according to the study authors. However, this was not the case with texts about self-harm.
The control group with no history of NSSI did not show a similar response to the NSSI images. Such content is apparently less problematic for young people without relevant previous experience.
Discuss the topic in conversations with those involved
According to the study, physiological stress responses such as heart rate or skin conductance showed no significant differences when confronted with the images. But the effects can be psychologically stressful. Specialists and those who treat them should therefore be aware of the possible triggers caused by such images and discuss this topic with those affected.
To prevent such media content, the researchers “recommend measures to improve emotional regulation skills and awareness programs.”
Source: Krone
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