The Blue Whale Challenge (BWC) is an online viral "game" that allegedly encourages youth and young adults towards self-harming behaviors that could eventually lead to suicide. The BWC can be situated within a larger phenomenon of viral online self-harm challenges, which may be propagated through both social media and news sources. Research has established that suicide is a global public health issue that is known to be influenced by media reporting. Violation of safe messaging guidelines has been shown to increase imitative suicides, particularly in youth and young adults. Given the confirmed effects of news media reporting, we analyzed 150 digital newspaper articles reporting on the BWC to assess whether they adhered to suicide prevention safe messaging guidelines. Overall, 81% of the articles violated at least one contagion-related guideline, most commonly normalizing suicide, discussing means of suicide, and sensationalizing. Even though the majority (91%) of the articles adhered to at least one health-promotion guideline, such as emphasizing prevention, the articles did not follow these guidelines on a deep and comprehensive level. Through thematic analysis, we also found evidence of potential misinformation in reporting, where the articles unequivocally attributed many suicides to the BWC with little or no evidence. Additionally, articles often stated an individual's reason for participating in the challenge without interviewing the individual or those close to the individual, another aspect of potential misinformation due to lack of evidence. A contribution of the current study is the synthesis of safe messaging guidelines that can be used in future research. This study contributes to the understanding of news reporting practices regarding suicide and self-harm in regard to the BWC and similar online challenges. We discuss how sensationalized news media reports on the BWC could unintentionally propagate suicide contagion effects that normalize self-harming behaviors among youth. We then examine implications for practice and policy, such using automated approaches to aid reporters in adhering to safe messaging guidelines.
Ultraviolet (UV)-exposure behaviors can directly impact an individual's skin cancer risk, with many habits formed during childhood and adolescence. We explored the utility of a photoaging smartphone application to motivate youth to improve sun safety practices.
Abstract Purpose: Prior quantitative studies have described diminished health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) faced by the mycosis fungoides (MF)/Sézary syndrome (SS) population, yet little is known about how they specifically affect HRQoL in patients with skin of color (SOC). The objective of this qualitative study was to gain insights into the lived experiences of SOC patients with MF/SS and the disease’s impact on various facets of HRQoL. Methods: Interviews with SOC patients with MF/SS ≥18 recruited from a cutaneous lymphoma clinic. A thematic analysis was performed to identify overarching themes. Results: Ten patients were invited to participate during July to September 2021. One SS and seven MF patients [4 early stage, 4 advanced stage] with a median age of 60.5 years agreed to participate. Emerging themes included diagnostic and therapeutic delays frequently due to initial misdiagnoses with other skin conditions. Physical and functional burdens significantly hindered participants’ abilities to carry out daily responsibilities and maintain employment. Impacts on physical appearance (e.g., darkened skin) led to increased self-consciousness and lack of social acceptance. Participants regarded family and faith as main sources of support, in addition to developing healthy coping strategies and personal growth, which included self-acceptance and adaptability. All participants reported feeling satisfied with their access to healthcare information and quality of care received. Conclusion: Our findings provide greater insight into how HRQoL is impacted across SOC patients with MF/SS, which can help raise awareness among healthcare providers and assist with creating interdisciplinary approaches of care to better support the needs of this population.
Background Prior quantitative studies have described the diminished health-related quality of life (HRQoL) faced by the overall mycosis fungoides (MF)/Sézary syndrome (SS) population; yet, little is known about how the disease affects HRQoL in skin of color (SOC) patients. This qualitative study sought to explore the lived experiences of SOC patients with MF/SS and gain deeper insights into the impact the disease has on various facets of HRQoL. Methodology Interviews with SOC patients with MF/SS ≥18 were recruited from a cutaneous lymphoma clinic. A thematic analysis was performed to identify overarching themes. Results Ten patients were invited to participate from July to September 2021. One patient with SS and seven patients with MF (four in the early stage and four in the advanced stage), with a median age of 60.5 years, agreed to participate. Emerging themes included diagnostic and therapeutic delays frequently due to initial misdiagnoses with other skin conditions. Physical and functional burdens significantly hindered participants’ abilities to carry out daily responsibilities and maintain employment, and impacts on physical appearance (e.g., darkened skin) led to increased self-consciousness and lack of social acceptance. Participants regarded family and faith as main sources of support in addition to developing healthy coping strategies, such as self-acceptance and adaptability. All participants reported feeling satisfied with their access to healthcare information and the quality of care received. Conclusions Our findings provide greater insights into how HRQoL is impacted across SOC patients with MF/SS, which can help raise awareness among healthcare providers and assist with creating interdisciplinary healthcare approaches to better support the needs of this population.
