SUICIDAL IDEATION/MENTAL HEALTH CONCERN/SELF-HARM EMOJIS Suicidal ideation refers to thoughts or fantasies about ending one's own life. It can range from brief, fleeting thoughts, to detailed plans and can be accompanied by feelings of hopelessness, despair, loneliness, and worthlessness. Suicidal ideation is often a symptom of a mental health concern, but it can also occur in response to stressful life events or trauma. It's important to take any thoughts of suicide seriously and seek professional help if you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal ideation. When referring to the unsettling trends of suicide among young people, 1 we need to find an appropriate response to the behavior in cases where youth are encouraging and supporting other peers in their expression of suicidal ideation. This can sometimes include offering an improved plan for completion. There is a concerning increase in these behaviors with the escalating presence of anonymous apps and social networking platforms such as Discord, Reddit, 4Chan, and WhatsApp. 2 More adolescents are accessing emergency rooms with self-inflicted wounds or suicide attempts than we have ever seen before. 3 Self-harming can include cutting 4 or the act of physically hurting themselves by other means to focus on another form of pain. It is becoming clear how climbing caseloads in mental health are affecting the health system. Researchers say they are seeing a distressing rise in the number of youths seeking help for self-inflicted wounds, especially in females. 5 However, many doctors and specialists report that the increasing number of youths seeking support for self-harm at the ER, don’t have the hallmarks of a psychiatric disorder, leaving doctors with no clear answers as to why they’re seeing so many more adolescents with these types of injuries. 6 Another increasingly concerning online trend is posting self-harming behaviors online, including still images and videos of the action of self-harm. As this behavior continues, we can predict that the number of adolescents engaged in these behaviors will continue to rise. Self-harming behaviors and suicide attempts are very different behaviors and need to be responded to accordingly. Sameer Hinduja, Ph.D., Co-Author, Professor, Florida Atlantic University School of Criminology and Criminal Justice within the College of Social Work and Criminal Justice, Co-Director of the Cyberbullying Research Center, and a faculty associate at the Berkman Klein Center at Harvard University said, “We have identified a strong association between digital self-harm and suicidality. As such, it’s imperative for health professionals to screen for digital self-harm to address underlying mental health problems among youth that may occur prior to or alongside suicidality. Moreover, parents and caregivers must convey to children that they are available to dialog, support, and assist with the root issues that may eventually manifest as digital self-harm. Educators and other stakeholders must better prioritize the emotional and psychological needs of youth with opportunities for open dialog, skill-building, and the provision of interactive and easily accessible online and offline support resources to ensure that those at-risk know that other people care about them.” 7
1 Suicide rate highest among teens and young adults | UCLA Health Connect 2 Anonymous Apps Digital Threat Assessment® Training for Anonymous Apps (icdta.org) 3 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9164513/ 4 Cutting: Self-Harm, on Arm, Yourself, Self-Injury, in Adults, and More (healthline.com) 5 Emergency Department Visits for Self-Inflicted Injuries Increase among Young U.S. Females - For The Media - JAMA Network
6 Canadian hospitals stretched as self-harming teens seek help | CBC News 7 https://www.fau.edu/newsdesk/articles/digital-self-harm-suicide.php
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