What are the risks and benefits of online activity around suicide and self-harm?

This page shares some of the research around the risks and benefits of online activity around suicide and self-harm. It can give you some background when understanding someone's experience.

Working with uncertainty

We know that as practitioners you want to provide people with the right support. But there is no single clear answer to share about what makes online activity around suicide and self-harm helpful or harmful.

This is because:

most online activity relating to suicide and self-harm will have a mixture of harmful and helpful effects
whether something is helpful or harmful often depends on factors unique to that person and their experiences as well as the thing being viewed, shared or posted
how a person is affected by their online activity can change over time.

This page covers what the research shows about when online activity is more likely to be helpful or harmful. We encourage you to use it:

as areas to explore with people, but not as a checklist of what everyone should avoid all the time
as something to keep in mind when working with an individual.

We don’t go into detail about what the particular risks of harm from an activity are. This is because:

it’s very difficult to do so without over simplifying things
they vary from person to person.

Potential negative impacts of online activity

Below are some of the ways online activity around suicide and self-harm can affect people negatively.

Content can be upsetting or distressing.
Frequently engaging with content that mentions suicide or self-harm can lead to these behaviours seeming more commonly used.
Social contagion can occur. This is when a group of people start to share feelings of distress and pick up each other’s behaviours.
Posts, images and videos that include methods of harm, locations and equipment can give people ideas on ways of self-harming or ending their life.
Online competitiveness can occur if more shocking posts get more likes or comments. This can lead people to post more graphic content or even self-harm more severely.
People might experience direct encouragement from others to self-harm or kill themselves.
Engaging with online communities may prevent some people from seeking other forms of support.

It’s important not to react to those risks by restricting or banning internet use, because the internet can also be an important source of support. It can fill gaps in services and provide access to connection, support and help (especially in a crisis).

Find out more about how to help the people you work with stay safe online

Use our guide.

Understanding the risk of different activities

Is some content more worrying than others?

Different content affects people differently. What’s upsetting for someone is often linked to their specific experiences. This includes things like their current level of distress, how much content they're viewing, and what other support they have.

Content that’s more likely to be harmful

Information about methods of harm.
Direct encouragement of suicide and self-harm.
Graphic videos and images depicting suicide and self-harm.

Content that can be harmful or helpful

Images and artwork. People interpret these differently, so the impact is more unpredictable.
Memorial pages for people who have died by suicide. Although these can be helpful for people grieving, some discussions can put people more at risk – for example describing impacts that sound positive like the person ‘being in a better place’.
People’s posts about their experiences. These can be helpful, but even if the person is talking about recovery they may include details that can be upsetting or harmful for others.

Content that’s more likely to be helpful

Messages encouraging people to seek help.
Tips about self-care and looking after your wellbeing.
Information about sources of support.
Stories encouraging hope, recovery, and seeking support.

Are some online communities more worrying than others?

Online communities constantly shift and change as people join and leave. Within a single site or platform there can be communities with different cultures. Even safer sites might not fit every person’s needs and can contain content that people may find upsetting.

Broadly speaking, safer communities have:

community guidelines which clearly state how suicide and self-harm content will be handled;
moderators who can be reached easily, who set out clearly how long they will take to respond, and who are trained to support people who might be struggling;
clear, safe and supportive ways of communicating with users;
supportive resources for users, and signposts to help.

Are some browsing behaviours more worrying than others?

Most people visit a broad range of sites, apps and social media platforms. They move between them in an unstructured way and without a clear goal or purpose. They may absorb and post supportive and potentially risky content at the same time.

Evidence shows that when people are in higher levels of distress they are more systematic in their browsing. They may purposefully look to research methods of harm and evaluate their effectiveness. They're also less likely to engage with others and may try to avoid signposts to support.

Who is most at risk?

There’s some evidence that shows higher internet use around suicide and self-harm among young people. There’s also evidence that young people may be more influenced by what they experience online.

But this is not just a young person’s issue.

There’s some evidence that suicide-related online experiences are more common among young people who identify as LGBT+. More research is needed into the factors that may increase someone’s risk of harm.

Notice changes in people’s behaviour

Paying attention to changes when you are working with someone can help you spot risks.

For example, you could notice a change in their online behaviour – such as finding it harder to take a break. Or you might learn that the content they view or the platforms they use have changed. Ask about the reasons for this change in behaviour and whether it has had an impact on their thoughts and feelings around suicide and self-harm.

Alternatively, if you notice changes in their thoughts, behaviours and feelings around suicide and self-harm, it’s good to explore whether their online activity has also changed.

There’s evidence to suggest that people’s online activity may increase if their access to support changes. If you know that someone is moving between services or is currently waiting for support, it’s a good time to check in on their online activity. Some people use the internet in helpful ways to fill a service gap, but it’s also a time when they may be more likely to access harmful content.

Can you help us improve our Guidance for Practitioners?

We’re evaluating the helpfulness of this guidance and would like to hear from you. Would you tell us about your experiences of using these resources?

Express your interest

References

Biddle L, Derges J, Goldsmith C, Donovan J, Gunnell D. Using the internet for suicide-related purposes: contrasting findings from young people in the community and self-harm patients admitted to hospital. PLoS ONE 13(5): e0197712. 2018

Jacob, N., Evans, R., & Scourfield, J. (2017). The influence of online images on self-harm: A qualitative study of young people aged 16–24. Journal of adolescence, 60, 140-147.

Marchant A, Hawton K, Stewart A, Montgomery P, Singaravelu V, Lloyd K, et al. (2017) A systematic review of the relationship between internet use, self-harm and suicidal behaviour in young people: The good, the bad and the unknown. PLoS ONE 12(8)

Nesi, J., Burke, T.A., Lawrence, H.R. et al. (2021) Online Self-Injury Activities among Psychiatrically Hospitalized Adolescents: Prevalence, Functions, and Perceived Consequences. Res Child Adolesc Psychopathology (2021).

Rodway C, Tham SG, Richards N, Ibrahim S, Turnbull P, Kapur N, Appleby L (2022). Online harms? Suicide-related online experience: a UK-wide case series study of young people who die by suicide. Psychological Medicine 1–12.

Last reviewed 18th January 2023

What do we know about the risks and benefits of online activity?