Exploring Voluntary Disclosure of Non‐Suicidal Self‐Injury: A Thematic Analysis

ABSTRACT Voluntary disclosure of Non‐Suicidal Self‐Injury (NSSI) refers to instances when an individual chooses to share with another person that they have self‐injured. To date, the processes involved in deciding to disclose NSSI are not well understood from a lived experience perspective. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore lived experience perspectives of the decision to voluntarily disclose NSSI. Fifteen semi‐structured interviews were conducted with university students who were aged between 18 and 25 ( M = 20.33, SD = 1.88), with 11 identifying as female. All participants had previously disclosed their NSSI to at least one other person. The interview transcripts were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Several themes were identified including: The Value of Trust in Disclosure, Take Context into Account, Support for one and for all, Disclosing in the face of fear, Selective Sharing, and Perceptions of Disclosure. The findings of this study highlight the multifaceted and ongoing nature of voluntary NSSI disclosure decision‐making. In particular, NSSI disclosure decision‐making was grounded within a strong value system and shaped by proximal as well as distal contextual factors. The opportunity to receive support or to help others appears of particular importance, despite significant barriers to NSSI disclosure.