Elmquist-Clausen, Mathilde

Hirad, Saredo Muhamud Hussein

Pedersen, Mona

Rasmussen, Katrine Brandt

This paper deals with how youths with mental disorders use social media to share self-harm and suicide attempts as well as thoughts, in relation to how the society and the psychiatric health care can help better their treatment. The question examined is: “What are the causes for some young people with mental disorders to use closed networks on social media, how does it affect them, and how can society contribute to getting them the help they need?”. Firstly, this paper contains an account of relevant theories by Beck, Giddens, and Goffman in addition to an account of what the municipalities and regions consist of and how they work in general. The paper then contains a chapter on methods in relation to self-produced semi-structured interviews and a critical evaluation and reflection of the used methods and theory. An analysis of the gathered material is then made, to further the understanding of which social structures have affected the youths, why they use these closed networks on social media and how youths with mental disorders are being stigmatised. Additionally, the paper examines how the psychological treatment they receive could be improved in relation to the three sectors in the Danish system. The paper then discusses where the responsibility can be placed in relation to the increase of youths with diagnoses as well as self-harm content on social media. In addition to this, a discussion is made of whether the cooperation between the three sectors is optimal and how it could be improved. This paper concludes that youths use social media to share their troubles due to the individualisation happening in society, a lack of community, and need to feel understood by others. It is therefore important that the psychiatric health care includes this in the patient's treatment process. It is also concluded that improvements between the three sectors are needed but that this is restricted by the economic situation. Lastly the paper includes a reflection on the new investment in psychiatric health care and a recommendation based on our examination on how this should be used to help youths with mental disorders

Risks in the modernity: Youths with mental disorders on social medias

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

Roskilde Universitet