Exploring Adolescents' Experiences of Self-Harm and Their Needs for Positive Behavioral Change in Kampar Regency, Indonesia: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Self-harm behavior among adolescents is an increasingly crucial public mental health issue in developing regions. This study aims to explore in-depth the psychological experiences of adolescents who engage in self-harm and identify their specific needs for achieving positive behavioral change in Kampar Regency. The researchers employed a qualitative phenomenological design by collecting data through in-depth interviews with five adolescents aged 15 to 17 at SMAN 1 Bangkinang Kota and SMAN 2 Bangkinang Kota. The data were then manually analyzed using in-depth thematic analysis techniques. The results revealed that physical harm serves as a maladaptive emotional regulation strategy to relieve deep mental tension caused by conflicting family communication, academic pressure, peer bullying, and loneliness. All participants demonstrated a strong internal motivation to stop self-harm, but their recovery efforts were continually hampered by daily emotional instability and the lack of a safe space to talk at home or at school. The study's conclusion confirms that the recovery process and positive behavioral change for adolescents require integrated ecosystem support through the provision of non-judgmental school guidance and counseling services, a communicative family care climate, and increased access to youth-friendly mental health services at the regional level. The novelty of this study provides conceptual novelty through the development of an emotional recovery needs map based on the perspectives and direct voices of adolescents in the district, which explicitly links the crisis of emotional regulation with the formulation of relevant positive behavioral change intervention strategies.