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Hard-to-Reach Youth Online: Methodological Advances in Self-Harm Research

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Abstract

International research has demonstrated that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth have elevated rates of suicide and self-harm. What is missing from the evidence base, however, is qualitative research investigating LGBT youth perspectives. This is a sensitive subject area presenting ethical, methodological and epistemological challenges, especially in relation to over-sampling the ‘visible’ sections of a hidden population, retrospective reporting, and capturing complex emotions. We report on our use of qualitative online methodology to examine Internet forums where LGBT youth discuss self-harming. We found that this methodology can address some research dilemmas by generating: (a) diverse samples in terms of sexuality and gender identities; (b) a different type of data, immediate and unmediated by researchers; and (c) complex psychosocial emotional data. We argue that this online data can enhance our understanding of the links among hard-to-reach youth, suicide, self-harm, sexuality and gender, which is crucial to developing effective and appropriate suicide prevention strategies and mental health policies.

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Notes

  1. We use the term self-harm here to include suicidality and self-harm.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the British Academy Small Research Grant.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. Social Policy and Social Work, University of York, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, UK

    Elizabeth McDermott

  2. Dept. Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway

    Katrina Roen

  3. School of Education, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK

    Anna Piela

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  1. Elizabeth McDermott
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  2. Katrina Roen
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  3. Anna Piela
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Correspondence to Elizabeth McDermott.

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McDermott, E., Roen, K. & Piela, A. Hard-to-Reach Youth Online: Methodological Advances in Self-Harm Research. Sex Res Soc Policy 10, 125–134 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13178-012-0108-z

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