Why you should read this article:

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To learn about digital self-harm and how it can affect young people

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To enhance your understanding of the reasons why people may engage in digital self-harm

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To consider various approaches you could use to support young people who engage in digital self-harm

Self-harm is typically described as physical harm that an individual inflicts on themselves to provide relief from unbearable emotional pain or distress, with a high prevalence among adolescents. In the digital age, some adolescents who self-harm may seek support online and rely on social media platforms to validate their feelings. However, these adolescents can also be subjected to cyberbullying as targets of negative and hurtful online messages. Although some websites may offer support, many of them also contain harmful content that encourages self-harm, which in some cases has resulted in suicide. Over the past few years, there has been an emerging trend in which some adolescents send themselves hurtful messages online, and this has been termed ‘digital self-harm’. This article explores this relatively new form of self-harm and its implications for mental health nursing practice. It also outlines some approaches that mental health nurses can use to support adolescents who engage in digital self-harm.