Social Media, Smartphone Use and Self-harm in Young People

NCT04601220 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 269104
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 388
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Self-harm is when somebody hurts their body as a way of coping with difficult feelings. Self-harm is becoming increasingly common in young people, particularly in adolescent females. The rise in self-harm has been linked to increasing use of social media and internet technology among young people. However, the evidence is limited to associations with poorer mental health outcomes rather than identifying particular aspects of using these technologies that can negatively impact on mental health. This study aims to investigate how the use of social media and a smartphone may increase the risk of self-harm in young people by exploring changes in usage in the period leading up to an episode of self-harm. The information from this study will allow us to understand whether there are certain behaviours that are more likely to occur before an episode of self-harm. This will inform new strategies to identify and provide support to vulnerable young people. For example, linking young people with crisis support or empowering young people to make changes, manage their own risks and build resilience. This study will recruit young people aged 13-25 years old who have accessed mental health services provided by an NHS Trust in South-East London. Young people will be invited to provide information on their mental health and social media and smartphone use over a period of six months.

Conditions

Self-Harm, Deliberate

Keywords

Young adult; Adolescent; Social media; Smartphone; Mental health

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Self-harm event

  Self-reported and clinician-reported self-harm events

  6 months

Secondary Outcomes (5)

• Sleep disturbance symptoms

  6 months

• Depression symptoms

  6 months

• Anxiety symptoms

  6 months

• Loneliness symptoms

  6 months

• Experiences of being bullied

  6 months

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 13 Years - 25 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Clinical sample

You may qualify if:

• Identified via SLaM's C4C patient research participation register or referral to the study team by their clinician.
• Aged 13-25 years old at the time of study approach.
• Accessed mental health services at SLaM in the last 12 months.
• Has capacity to consent (and an adult with parental responsibility for young people aged 13-15 years old). Mental capacity will be assumed unless evidence from a clinician or during contact with the study team suggests otherwise.

You may not qualify if:

• Unable to complete the questionnaires via the study software application or online survey platform.
• Admitted to an inpatient psychiatric ward, sectioned under the Mental Health Act or in prison at the time of approach.
• Clinician advises it is not appropriate to approach.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• King's College London: lead

Study Sites (1)

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

London, United Kingdom

Location

Related Publications (4)

• Bye A, Carter B, Leightley D, Trevillion K, Liakata M, Branthonne-Foster S, Williamson G, Zenasni Z, Dutta R. Observational prospective study of social media, smartphone use and self-harm in a clinical sample of young people: study protocol. BMJ Open. 2023 Feb 1;13(2):e069748. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-069748.

  PMID: 36725102 BACKGROUND

• Bye A, Carter B, Leightley D, Trevillion K, Liakata M, Branthonne-Foster S, Cross S, Zenasni Z, Carr E, Williamson G, Vega Viyuela A, Dutta R. Cohort profile: The Social media, smartphone use and Self-harm in Young People (3S-YP) study-A prospective, observational cohort study of young people in contact with mental health services. PLoS One. 2024 May 22;19(5):e0299059. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299059. eCollection 2024.

  PMID: 38776261 BACKGROUND

• Bye A, Trevillion K, Wilson-Lemoine E, Leightley D, Carter B, Liakata M, Hopper J, Dutta R. Visual content and thematic analyses of images shared on social media before and after episodes of self-harm in a UK clinical youth sample. BMJ Open. 2026 Jan 19;16(1):e103456. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2025-103456.

  PMID: 41554580 DERIVED

• Bye A, Wilson-Lemoine E, Trevillion K, Carter B, Dutta R. Factors that affect clinical youth engagement in digital mental health research: a qualitative sub-study nested within a prospective cohort study. BMC Med Res Methodol. 2025 Apr 30;25(1):118. doi: 10.1186/s12874-025-02571-9.

  PMID: 40307751 DERIVED

Related Links

• Related Info

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Self-Injurious Behavior; Psychological Well-Being

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Behavioral Symptoms; Behavior; Personal Satisfaction

Study Officials

• Rina Dutta

  King's College London

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: COHORT
• Time Perspective: PROSPECTIVE
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: October 7, 2020
• First Posted: October 23, 2020
• Study Start: June 3, 2021
• Primary Completion: June 30, 2023
• Study Completion: July 31, 2023
• Last Updated: May 2, 2025

Record last verified: 2023-10

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

GB (1)