Young Australian Women's Views on Peer Support for Self-Harm: A Qualitative Study.

Self-harm among young women has been rising internationally and in Australia, yet many are not in contact with formal services. Peer support may play an important role in managing self-harm; however, it remains under-investigated. This qualitative study explored how young Australian women perceive peer support for managing self-harm. Using purposive sampling, twenty-seven women (M = 20.9, SD = 2.1) with lived or living experiences of self-harm participated in semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Five themes highlighted perceived benefits and risks of peer support: 1. Affirmation-peer support offers understanding and validation that reduce shame and stigma; 2. Connection to community-shared experience reduces isolation and supports learning; 3. Empowerment-peer support promotes hope, autonomy, and help-seeking; 4. Capacity matters-limited psychological knowledge and emotional resources can constrain or burden peers; 5. Perception can be distorted-in un-moderated online contexts, normalisation, glamorisation, and competitive dynamics of self-harm may increase risk. These findings offer insight into how young women understand the different aspects of peer support for self-harm and may inform the development of structured and moderated peer support options. Future research should focus on the design and evaluation of safe and effective peer support initiatives.