"Treat me like a fellow human": how young adults who blog about self-harm describe positive encounters with health care workers

Self-harm is a major problem among young adults, and many do not seek help from health care services. Little is known about how patients who harm themselves experience positive encounters with health care workers. Blogs are a way of communicating personal experiences to a broader public and may prov...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nordic psychology 2023-04, Vol.75 (2), p.97-112
Main Authors: Dåstøl, Astrid, Stänicke, Line Indrevoll, Mossige, Svein
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
blog
Blogs
common factors
Emotional regulation
Health care
Health services utilization
Help seeking behavior
Medical personnel
Personal experiences
Self destructive behavior
Self injury
self-harm
Workers
Young adults
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Summary:Self-harm is a major problem among young adults, and many do not seek help from health care services. Little is known about how patients who harm themselves experience positive encounters with health care workers. Blogs are a way of communicating personal experiences to a broader public and may provide an immediate expression of such experiences. We conducted a thematic analysis of blog entries written by ten patients who carry out self-harm, in order to answer the question: How do young adults who blog about their self-harming describe positive encounters with health care workers? The analysis revealed four meta-themes: 1) I feel cared for, 2) I am treated like a fellow human, 3) I can talk about everything, and 4) I feel that the helper takes charge. Emotion regulation skills emerged as the most valued specific therapeutic ingredient. These findings are relevant for making young adults who self-harm feel understood and cared for.
ISSN:1901-2276
1904-0016
DOI:10.1080/19012276.2022.2063929