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July 23, 2026Nature Mental HealthOpen Access

Algorithmically driven exposure to online self-harm content and its association with broader psychosocial risk in 32,000 adolescents

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Authors

HBHolly Alice BearESEmma SonesonGGGalit Geulayov

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Overview

Randomized trial examines psychosocial risks associated with online self-harm content exposure in adolescents, suggesting implications for public health strategies.

Key Points

  • This study aims to investigate how different pathways of exposure to online self-harm content relate to psychosocial risks among adolescents.
  • Analyzed data from the OxWell Student Survey involving 32,102 students aged 11-18 years in England.
  • Assessed pathways of exposure to online self-harm content and associated psychosocial risks.
  • Collected data on past-month exposure frequency and types.
  • 34.5% reported past-month exposure to online self-harm content, mainly through passive pathways.
  • 66.2% of those exposed encountered content via algorithmic feed suggestions.
  • Exposed students exhibited higher loneliness, greater online harms, and poorer mental health, particularly those with intentional exposure.

Cite This Study

Bear et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a61afaefaa9903c5116a7efhttps://doi.org/10.1038/s44220-026-00682-w
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Also Consider

Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context:

  1. 1Trajectories of Persistent Exposure to Self-Harm–Encouraging Websites and Subsequent Mental Health Outcomes in US Youth: Longitudinal Cohort Study2026
  2. 2Probing the digital exposome: associations of social media use patterns with youth mental health2024 · 21 citations
  3. 3Predicting Youth Violence and Distress from Online Exposure: A Symbolic Analysis of Aggregated Data2026
  4. 4Motivations and deterrents for posting and responding to online self-harm content: A qualitative survey study2026
  5. 5Hooked, Harmed, and Manipulated: The Harmful Psychological Costs of Social Media for Adolescents2025