Self-Harm, Deliberate3S-YPNCT04601220
Social Media, Smartphone Use and Self-harm in Young People
An observational study of Self-Harm, Deliberate, run by King's College London at 1 site in United Kingdom.
Trial summary
Self-harm is when somebody hurts their body as a way of coping with difficult feelings. Self-harm is becoming increasingly common in young people, particularly in adolescent females. The rise in self-harm has been linked to increasing use of social media and internet technology among young people. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 13 to 25 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Self-Harm, Deliberate
- How many people
- 388 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited Kingdom
- Study dates
- 3 Jun 2021to 31 Jul 2023
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 13 to 25 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Child, Adult
Study population: Clinical sample
Who may be able to join
- Identified via SLaM's C4C patient research participation register or referral to the study team by their clinician.
- Aged 13-25 years old at the time of study approach.
- Accessed mental health services at SLaM in the last 12 months.
- Has capacity to consent (and an adult with parental responsibility for young people aged 13-15 years old). Mental capacity will be assumed unless evidence from a clinician or during contact with the study team suggests otherwise.
Who cannot join
- Unable to complete the questionnaires via the study software application or online survey platform.
- Admitted to an inpatient psychiatric ward, sectioned under the Mental Health Act or in prison at the time of approach.
- Clinician advises it is not appropriate to approach.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United Kingdom1 site
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
London
About this study
Self-harm is when somebody hurts their body as a way of coping with difficult feelings. Self-harm is becoming increasingly common in young people, particularly in adolescent females. The rise in self-harm has been linked to increasing use of social media and internet technology among young people. However, the evidence is limited to associations with poorer mental health outcomes rather than identifying particular aspects of using these technologies that can negatively impact on mental health.
This study aims to investigate how the use of social media and a smartphone may increase the risk of self-harm in young people by exploring changes in usage in the period leading up to an episode of self-harm. The information from this study will allow us to understand whether there are certain behaviours that are more likely to occur before an episode of self-harm. This will inform new strategies to identify and provide support to vulnerable young people. For example, linking young people with crisis support or empowering young people to make changes, manage their own risks and build resilience.
This study will recruit young people aged 13-25 years old who have accessed mental health services provided by an NHS Trust in South-East London. Young people will be invited to provide information on their mental health and social media and smartphone use over a period of six months.
- Conditions
- Self-Harm, Deliberate
- Keywords
- Young adult, Adolescent, Social media, Smartphone, Mental health
- Medical subject headings
- Self-Injurious Behavior, Psychological Well-Being
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Self-harm event
Self-reported and clinician-reported self-harm events
Measured: 6 months
Secondary outcomes (5)
Sleep disturbance symptoms
Symptoms of sleep disturbance measured using the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Sleep Disturbance Short Form V1.0 4a / Pediatric Sleep Disturbance Short Form V1.0 4a. Scores range between 4-20, with higher scores indicative of possible sleep disturbance.
Measured: 6 months
Depression symptoms
Symptoms of depression measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire. Scores range between 0-27, with higher scores indicative of possible depression.
Measured: 6 months
Anxiety symptoms
Symptoms of anxiety measured using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale. Scores range between 0-21, with higher scores indicative of possible generalised anxiety disorder.
Measured: 6 months
Loneliness symptoms
Symptoms of loneliness measured using the Three-Item Loneliness Scale. Scores range between 3-9, with higher scores indicative of possible loneliness.
Measured: 6 months
Experiences of being bullied
Experiences of being bullied measured using an Eight-Item Bullying Checklist derived from the Revised Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire. Scores range between 8-40, with higher scores indicative of more experiences of being bullied.
Measured: 6 months
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted23 Oct 2020
- Study start3 Jun 2021
- Primary completion30 Jun 2023
- Study completion31 Jul 2023
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (4)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Self-Harm, DeliberateStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by King's College LondonThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Enrolment
- 388 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- King's College London
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Rina Dutta, Principal investigator, King's College London
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04601220
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 269104
- Acronym
- 3S-YP
- Status last verified
- Oct 2023
- First submitted
- 7 Oct 2020
- Last updated
- 2 May 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: Data will not be made available to other researchers.
Publications
Bye A, Carter B, Leightley D, Trevillion K, Liakata M, Branthonne-Foster S, Williamson G, Zenasni Z, Dutta R. Observational prospective study of social media, smartphone use and self-harm in a clinical sample of young people: study protocol. BMJ Open. 2023 Feb 1;13(2):e069748. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-069748.
PubMed 36725102Bye A, Carter B, Leightley D, Trevillion K, Liakata M, Branthonne-Foster S, Cross S, Zenasni Z, Carr E, Williamson G, Vega Viyuela A, Dutta R. Cohort profile: The Social media, smartphone use and Self-harm in Young People (3S-YP) study-A prospective, observational cohort study of young people in contact with mental health services. PLoS One. 2024 May 22;19(5):e0299059. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299059. eCollection 2024.
PubMed 38776261Bye A, Trevillion K, Wilson-Lemoine E, Leightley D, Carter B, Liakata M, Hopper J, Dutta R. Visual content and thematic analyses of images shared on social media before and after episodes of self-harm in a UK clinical youth sample. BMJ Open. 2026 Jan 19;16(1):e103456. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2025-103456.
PubMed 41554580Bye A, Wilson-Lemoine E, Trevillion K, Carter B, Dutta R. Factors that affect clinical youth engagement in digital mental health research: a qualitative sub-study nested within a prospective cohort study. BMC Med Res Methodol. 2025 Apr 30;25(1):118. doi: 10.1186/s12874-025-02571-9.
PubMed 40307751
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 2 May 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Social Media, Smartphone Use and Self-harm in Young People
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04601220
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 3S-YP / 269104
- Conditions
- Self-Harm, Deliberate
- Keywords
- Young adult, Adolescent, Social media, Smartphone, Mental health
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 388 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- King's College LondonUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 3 Jun 2021 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 30 Jun 2023 (actual)
- Study completion
- 31 Jul 2023 (actual)
- First posted
- 23 Oct 2020 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Self-harm is when somebody hurts their body as a way of coping with difficult feelings. Self-harm is becoming increasingly common in young people, particularly in adolescent females. The rise in self-harm has been linked to increasing use of social media and internet technology among young people. However, the evidence is limited to associations with poorer mental health outcomes rather than identifying particular aspects of using these technologies that can negatively impact on mental health.
This study aims to investigate how the use of social media and a smartphone may increase the risk of self-harm in young people by exploring changes in usage in the period leading up to an episode of self-harm. The information from this study will allow us to understand whether there are certain behaviours that are more likely to occur before an episode of self-harm. This will inform new strategies to identify and provide support to vulnerable young people. For example, linking young people with crisis support or empowering young people to make changes, manage their own risks and build resilience.
This study will recruit young people aged 13-25 years old who have accessed mental health services provided by an NHS Trust in South-East London. Young people will be invited to provide information on their mental health and social media and smartphone use over a period of six months.
Study design
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 13 to 25 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult
- Study population
- Clinical sample
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Identified via SLaM's C4C patient research participation register or referral to the study team by their clinician.
- Aged 13-25 years old at the time of study approach.
- Accessed mental health services at SLaM in the last 12 months.
- Has capacity to consent (and an adult with parental responsibility for young people aged 13-15 years old). Mental capacity will be assumed unless evidence from a clinician or during contact with the study team suggests otherwise.
Key exclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Unable to complete the questionnaires via the study software application or online survey platform.
- Admitted to an inpatient psychiatric ward, sectioned under the Mental Health Act or in prison at the time of approach.
- Clinician advises it is not appropriate to approach.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Primary outcome
Self-harm event
Time frame: 6 months
Self-reported and clinician-reported self-harm events
5 secondary outcomes
Sleep disturbance symptoms
Time frame: 6 months
Depression symptoms
Time frame: 6 months
Anxiety symptoms
Time frame: 6 months
Loneliness symptoms
Time frame: 6 months
Experiences of being bullied
Time frame: 6 months
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 2 May 2025.
- Background: PubMed 36725102Bye A, Carter B, Leightley D, Trevillion K, Liakata M, Branthonne-Foster S, Williamson G, Zenasni Z, Dutta R. Observational prospective study of social media, smartphone use and self-harm in a clinical sample of young people: study protocol. BMJ Open. 2023 Feb 1;13(2):e069748. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-069748.
- Results publication: PubMed 38776261Bye A, Carter B, Leightley D, Trevillion K, Liakata M, Branthonne-Foster S, Cross S, Zenasni Z, Carr E, Williamson G, Vega Viyuela A, Dutta R. Cohort profile: The Social media, smartphone use and Self-harm in Young People (3S-YP) study-A prospective, observational cohort study of young people in contact with mental health services. PLoS One. 2024 May 22;19(5):e0299059. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299059. eCollection 2024.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 41554580Bye A, Trevillion K, Wilson-Lemoine E, Leightley D, Carter B, Liakata M, Hopper J, Dutta R. Visual content and thematic analyses of images shared on social media before and after episodes of self-harm in a UK clinical youth sample. BMJ Open. 2026 Jan 19;16(1):e103456. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2025-103456.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 40307751Bye A, Wilson-Lemoine E, Trevillion K, Carter B, Dutta R. Factors that affect clinical youth engagement in digital mental health research: a qualitative sub-study nested within a prospective cohort study. BMC Med Res Methodol. 2025 Apr 30;25(1):118. doi: 10.1186/s12874-025-02571-9.
- Related InfoLink provided by the sponsor.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No. Data will not be made available to other researchers.
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Self Harm
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Rina Dutta principal investigator
King's College London
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Self-Harm, Deliberate, run by King's College London at 1 site in United Kingdom.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 3 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 2 May 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United Kingdom. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Self-harm event (time frame: 6 months). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT04601220, which also lists 4 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 2 May 2025.