The Impact of Social Contagion on Non-Suicidal Self-Injury: A Review of the Literature

Abstract

In this review, we explore social contagion as an understudied risk factor for non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) among adolescents and young adults, populations with a high prevalence of NSSI. We review empirical studies reporting data on prevalence and risk factors that, through social contagion, may influence the transmission of NSSI. Findings in this literature are consistent with social modeling/learning of NSSI increasing risk of initial engagement in NSSI among individuals with certain individual and/or psychiatric characteristics. Preliminary research suggests iatrogenic effects of social contagion of NSSI through primary prevention are not likely. Thus, social contagion factors may warrant considerable empirical attention. Intervention efforts may be enhanced, and social contagion reduced, by implementation of psychoeducation and awareness about NSSI in schools, colleges, and treatment programs.

#cutting: Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) on Instagram

“…Some of these pictures showed very severe wounds, which can be disturbing to (especially younger) users of Instagram, and that those severe wounds generated more comments than pictures of mild wounds. Furthermore, as studies have shown that NSSI can be socially contagious (Jarvi et al 2013), pictures on Instagram might put adolescents at risk to initiate NSSI or might be triggering for users already engaging in NSSI (Lewis & Baker, 2011). Initiatives to remove those pictures off social media for those reasons have recently gone as far as users signing petitions to eliminate accounts with specific NSSI content (Ross, 2016).…”

Nightmare frequency is related to a propensity for mirror behaviors

“…Frequent nightmares are a risk factor for suicidal thoughts and behaviors (Li et al, 2010;Pigeon, Pinquart, & Conner, 2012;Sjostrom et al, 2009), and suicidal thoughts and behaviors are also sometimes contagious, e.g., in 'copycat' suicides (Jeong et al, 2012;Yang et al, 2012). Self-injurious behaviors are similarly associated with both nightmares (Wong, Brower, & Zucker, 2011) and contagion (Jarvi, Jackson, Swenson, & Crawford, 2013). Thus, there may be an underlying tendency to imitate others among self-harming individuals, which is consistent with the possibility that there is an underlying voluntary and involuntary tendency to imitate others' behaviors among suicidal individuals.…”

Non-Suicidal Self-Injury in Swedish Adolescents : Prevalence, Characteristics, Functions and Associations With Childhood Adversities

“…See Table 4 for the fourfactor model and factor loadings. Although empirical evidence has shown peer identification/influence to be salient in adolescent NSSI (Jarvi et al, 2013;Prinstein et al, 2010;You, Lin, Fu, & Leung, 2013) and therefore needs to be taken into account when assessing functions of NSSI, these functions were not commonly reported by adolescents in the current self-report study.…”

“…A further challenge is the aspect of social contagion that has been reported for NSSI (Jarvi, Jackson, Swenson, & Crawford, 2013), for example peer socialization effects (Deliberto & Nock, 2008;Prinstein et al, 2010), to which adolescents probably are especially susceptible. The Internet is a natural part of life for most adolescents and offers plenty of information about NSSI (Lewis et al, 2011;Lewis et al, 2012;Purington & Whitlock, 2010).…”

“…Mounting evidence suggests that adolescent NSSI is a behavior susceptible to peer influence, particularly among vulnerable individuals (Jarvi et al, 2013). Studies on community samples of adolescents have shown that adolescents' NSSI could be predicted by their best friend's NSSI, even when the effects of depressive symptoms were controlled for .…”