Bilello Delfina, Townsend Ellen, Broome Matthew R, Burnett Heyes Stephanie
School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom.
Institute for Mental Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom.
Front Psychol. 2024 Feb 2;14:1221661. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1221661. eCollection 2023.
Self-harm amongst young people is becoming increasingly prevalent. Understanding, responding to, and supporting young people who self-harm is vital. Friends are typically the first and sometimes the only source of support sought by adolescents who self-harm. Despite their important role as confidants, friends' perspectives and experiences remain poorly understood.
We conducted retrospective qualitative semi-structured interviews, prompted by an adapted version of the Card Sort Task for Self-Harm (CaTS-FF), about the experiences of nine female young adults (18-20 years old) who supported a friend who self-harmed during adolescence. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis.
Four themes were developed: (1) "I did not realize my friend was on the road to self-harm": Friends' reactions to self-harm; (2) "That's what friends do": the role of friends; (3) The impact of supporting a friend who self-harms; and (4) "They were quite formative years": reflecting on growth through the experience.
The present findings highlight the complex experiences of young people supporting a friend who self-harms. Despite being willing to take on the role of a supporter, participants experienced a range of difficult emotions and consequences. The temporal transition running through the four themes reflects the evolving nature of participants' attitudes, knowledge, and friendships. Overall, results highlight the unmet needs of adolescents supporting young people who self-harm, as well as identifying potential pathways to "support the supporters" toward resilience.
年轻人中的自我伤害现象日益普遍。理解、回应并支持自我伤害的年轻人至关重要。朋友通常是自我伤害的青少年寻求支持的首要且有时是唯一的来源。尽管朋友作为知己发挥着重要作用，但他们的观点和经历仍未得到充分理解。
我们采用了一种改编版的自我伤害卡片分类任务（CaTS - FF），对九名曾在青春期支持过自我伤害朋友的年轻女性（18 - 20岁）进行了回顾性定性半结构化访谈。使用主题分析法对数据进行了分析。
形成了四个主题：（1）“我没有意识到我的朋友正走向自我伤害之路”：朋友对自我伤害的反应；（2）“这就是朋友该做的”：朋友的角色；（3）支持自我伤害朋友的影响；（4）“那是相当有塑造性的几年”：通过这段经历反思成长。
目前的研究结果凸显了年轻人支持自我伤害朋友的复杂经历。尽管愿意承担支持者的角色，但参与者经历了一系列复杂的情绪和后果。贯穿四个主题的时间过渡反映了参与者态度、知识和友谊的不断演变。总体而言，结果凸显了支持自我伤害年轻人的青少年未被满足的需求，同时也确定了帮助“支持者”增强复原力的潜在途径。
