Background. Online peer-support communities have become crucial spaces for people experiencing suicidal thoughts to express distress and seek help. Yet, little is known about how individuals describe their encounters with different sources of help—both formal (clinicians, institutions) and informal (family, friends)—in these contexts.
Methods. We conducted a qualitative thematic analysis of 3,549 publicly available posts on an online anonymous platform where individuals are allowed to express their suicidal thoughts. Data were obtained from an open-access public archive and inductively coded using a framework distinguishing who is mentioned (clinicians vs. personal networks) and how experiences are evaluated (positive, negative, or neutral). Codes were grouped into major themes such as effectiveness, empathy, cost/access, coercion, and stigma.
Results. Clinicians were mentioned in approximately 25% of posts (hospitals, psychiatrists, psychologists, or hotlines). In contrast, personal networks—family (44%), friends (41%), and partners (15%)—were referenced much more frequently. Psychologists were the most positively portrayed, particularly regarding empathy and relational support, while psychiatrists and hospitals evoked ambivalence linked to medicalization, coercion, and systemic barriers. Hotline experiences were mixed, depending on perceived warmth of responders. Across all clinician categories, treatment effectiveness and empathy/validation were the dominant positive codes, whereas access barriers, costs, and coercion represented primary sources of dissatisfaction.
Conclusion. Narratives on an online platform reveal that individuals often seek professional help but perceive formal services as difficult to access or emotionally unsafe. The findings highlight a fragile but present trust toward clinicians, emphasizing the need to strengthen relational empathy, continuity of care, and systemic accessibility within suicide-prevention frameworks.

Authors:
Mei Asakawa, Nagoya University, Japan

About the Presenter(s)
Mei Asakawa, M.A., is a doctoral student who is interested in why suicidal and para suicidal individuals do not engage in mental health care. She has clinical experience in Italian and Spanish to provide crisis intervention.

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/may-a-2836922

Connect on ResearchGate
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mei-Asakawa-2

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