Fulcher, Jory A., et al. "# selfharn on Instagram: understanding online communities surrounding non-suicidal self-injury through conversations and common properties among authors." Digital health 6 (2020): 2055207620922389.

This study investigates the use of the hashtag #selfharn on Instagram, a maneuver by non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) communities to bypass the platform's ban on #selfharm. Employing a multi-method approach, including text and content analysis of captions, comments (n=8772), and visual content (n=93), the research aimed to understand the conversation, visual properties, and the environment created by #selfharn authors (n=50). Findings indicate that terms like #depression and #suicide were prevalent, with the majority of posts expressing 'bad feelings'. Visual content analysis showed that 75% of images contained wounds, yet 99% did not trigger an advisory warning. The authors, primarily women with dark-colored profile aesthetics, contribute to a community potentially exacerbating mental health issues. The study suggests Instagram should offer more support to those involved in the NSSI community.