Background: In many parts of the world, rates of self-harm and suicidal behaviour in young people are increasing. Many implicate social media in this problem and are concerned about young people being exposed to information about self-harm and suicide online. To address this concern, the #chatsafe guidelines were developed to equip young people with the skills to navigate self-harm and suicide-related content on social media. The guidelines are now supported by a social media campaign, as well as resources for the significant adults in a young person’s life.
Objective: The original #chatsafe guide for parents and carers was developed in Australia to support parents and carers to feel confident talking to their young person about self-harm, suicide, and social media. To adapt this resource for an international audience, the present study sought to understand the concerns held by parents, carers and mental health professionals about these topics and to explore the extent to which a resource such as #chatsafe would be helpful within their communities.
Method: Seven focus groups were conducted with participants from 15 countries. Participants (n = 42) were eligible if they were a suicide prevention professional working at a relevant organisation, and/or a parent or carer of a young person aged 12-25 years. Audio data were transcribed and thematically analysed using both inductive and deductive approaches.
Findings: Data have been represented by 6 themes: 1) adults are fearful of the two scary ‘S’ words, 2) country and culture impact the acceptability and concealment of these topics, 3) the extra support parents require, 4) the relevance and usefulness of #chatsafe in different countries, 5) opportunities to improve the global relevance of digital literacy and suicide prevention, and 6) ways to disseminate new knowledge with parents and carers worldwide.
Conclusions: This presentation will share the qualitative findings of this research project highlighting the differences in mental health literacy and psychoeducation needs of parents and carers globally. The universal concerns held by parents and carers regarding social media and suicide suggest that resources such as #chatsafe are able to support parents and carers from different cultures and regions. Outcomes of this study resulted in the adaptation and distribution of the second edition of the #chatsafe guide for parents and carers in 15 countries.