How Technologies Can Support Self-Injury Self-Management: Perspectives of Young Adults With Lived Experience of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury
BackgroundThere is growing interest in the design of digital interventions to improve conditions for young people who engage in high-risk behaviors, like nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). However, few studies have focused on how young people self-manage NSSI, or their existing, and historic, use of te...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-06-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Digital Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fdgth.2022.913599/full |
| _version_ | 1811238255333474304 |
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| author | Kaylee Payne Kruzan David C. Mohr Madhu Reddy |
| author_facet | Kaylee Payne Kruzan David C. Mohr Madhu Reddy |
| author_sort | Kaylee Payne Kruzan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundThere is growing interest in the design of digital interventions to improve conditions for young people who engage in high-risk behaviors, like nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). However, few studies have focused on how young people self-manage NSSI, or their existing, and historic, use of technologies to support their goals related to NSSI behavior change. Such an understanding has the potential to inform the design of digital interventions that meet this population's unique needs.ObjectivesThis study aims to (a) understand the self-management practices of young adults who engage in NSSI, (b) explore how they currently use technologies for self-injury self-management, and (c) identify the ways they can envision an app-based technology supporting their self-management.Methods and MaterialsTwenty young adults (aged 18–24) with lived experience of NSSI, and who were not currently enrolled in therapy, were recruited from online venues. Participants completed baseline measures to assess mental health and NSSI characteristics, followed by a virtual 1-h semi-structured interview where they were invited to share their experience of self-management, their goals, and their thoughts on supportive technology. Interview scripts were transcribed and analyzed via thematic analysis.ResultsThemes and sub-themes are organized under two broad domain areas: (1) How young adults self-manage NSSI thoughts and behaviors and (2) Opportunities and challenges for digital interventions to assist young adults in their recovery process. We found that young adults had varied experiences with, and goals related to, NSSI. Participants reported a lack of effective strategies to reduce NSSI urges and a desire for an app-based technology to track patterns and deliver personalized suggestions for self-management. Participants reported existing use of technologies as part of self-management, as well as early information and support seeking for NSSI online.ConclusionsThis study contributes a greater understanding of young people's experiences with self-injury, their self-management practices, and their desire to engage with technology. Our findings highlight the need for design flexibility in developing digital interventions that support individual goals, unique presentations of NSSI, and needs at different phases of recovery. Implications for the design of highly personalized and relevant digital interventions to address NSSI are discussed. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T12:38:33Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6868fb6170bc4719a65e89c4b916e39c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2673-253X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T12:38:33Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Digital Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-6868fb6170bc4719a65e89c4b916e39c2022-12-22T03:32:50ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Digital Health2673-253X2022-06-01410.3389/fdgth.2022.913599913599How Technologies Can Support Self-Injury Self-Management: Perspectives of Young Adults With Lived Experience of Nonsuicidal Self-InjuryKaylee Payne Kruzan0David C. Mohr1Madhu Reddy2Department of Preventive Medicine, Center for Behavioral Intervention Technologies, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United StatesDepartment of Preventive Medicine, Center for Behavioral Intervention Technologies, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United StatesDepartment of Informatics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United StatesBackgroundThere is growing interest in the design of digital interventions to improve conditions for young people who engage in high-risk behaviors, like nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). However, few studies have focused on how young people self-manage NSSI, or their existing, and historic, use of technologies to support their goals related to NSSI behavior change. Such an understanding has the potential to inform the design of digital interventions that meet this population's unique needs.ObjectivesThis study aims to (a) understand the self-management practices of young adults who engage in NSSI, (b) explore how they currently use technologies for self-injury self-management, and (c) identify the ways they can envision an app-based technology supporting their self-management.Methods and MaterialsTwenty young adults (aged 18–24) with lived experience of NSSI, and who were not currently enrolled in therapy, were recruited from online venues. Participants completed baseline measures to assess mental health and NSSI characteristics, followed by a virtual 1-h semi-structured interview where they were invited to share their experience of self-management, their goals, and their thoughts on supportive technology. Interview scripts were transcribed and analyzed via thematic analysis.ResultsThemes and sub-themes are organized under two broad domain areas: (1) How young adults self-manage NSSI thoughts and behaviors and (2) Opportunities and challenges for digital interventions to assist young adults in their recovery process. We found that young adults had varied experiences with, and goals related to, NSSI. Participants reported a lack of effective strategies to reduce NSSI urges and a desire for an app-based technology to track patterns and deliver personalized suggestions for self-management. Participants reported existing use of technologies as part of self-management, as well as early information and support seeking for NSSI online.ConclusionsThis study contributes a greater understanding of young people's experiences with self-injury, their self-management practices, and their desire to engage with technology. Our findings highlight the need for design flexibility in developing digital interventions that support individual goals, unique presentations of NSSI, and needs at different phases of recovery. Implications for the design of highly personalized and relevant digital interventions to address NSSI are discussed.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fdgth.2022.913599/fulldigital mental healthdigital interventionmHealthself-injuryself-harmmobile app |
| spellingShingle | Kaylee Payne Kruzan David C. Mohr Madhu Reddy How Technologies Can Support Self-Injury Self-Management: Perspectives of Young Adults With Lived Experience of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury Frontiers in Digital Health digital mental health digital intervention mHealth self-injury self-harm mobile app |
| title | How Technologies Can Support Self-Injury Self-Management: Perspectives of Young Adults With Lived Experience of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury |
| title_full | How Technologies Can Support Self-Injury Self-Management: Perspectives of Young Adults With Lived Experience of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury |
| title_fullStr | How Technologies Can Support Self-Injury Self-Management: Perspectives of Young Adults With Lived Experience of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury |
| title_full_unstemmed | How Technologies Can Support Self-Injury Self-Management: Perspectives of Young Adults With Lived Experience of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury |
| title_short | How Technologies Can Support Self-Injury Self-Management: Perspectives of Young Adults With Lived Experience of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury |
| title_sort | how technologies can support self injury self management perspectives of young adults with lived experience of nonsuicidal self injury |
| topic | digital mental health digital intervention mHealth self-injury self-harm mobile app |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fdgth.2022.913599/full |
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