When "Self-Harm" Means "Suicide": A Topic Modeling Study of Adolescent Online Help-Seeking for Self-Harm.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

The 15%-20% of adolescents worldwide who engage in nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) face an increased risk of transitioning from suicidal ideation to suicide attempt. To resist NSSI urges, young people often seek peer support online. We examined adolescent help-seeking on a purpose-built online mental health peer support platform, which is a critically understudied help-seeking venue.

Methods

Adolescents' help-seeking posts in the "Self Harm" category on a large online peer support platform (575,261 posts from 114,937 users) were analyzed using topic modeling. We assessed the prevalence of NSSI-related topics versus morbid/suicidal topics.

Results

Our 12-topic model produced interpretable themes. Three main findings emerged: posts included little informatio

SUBMITTER: Lind MN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12621541 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature