Youth’s Journeys of Self-Harm as Revealed through their Art: A Virtual Art Gallery
Welcome to our virtual art gallery. The artwork that you will see and experience in this gallery was created by young people who participated in a research study that aimed to understand young people’s experiences of self-harm. The project was led by Dr. Roberta L. Woodgate at the University of Manitoba.
This is a critical public health concern connected to youth mental health. Self-harm can consume daily life, provoking a great deal of suffering among young people, their families, and their communities. Although there is a growing amount of research that focuses on self-harm in youth, what is often missing is understanding what it is like to be a youth who self-harms and how young people feel as they make their way through life.
This study included 44 youth who ranged in age from 16 to 28 years old. While the gallery is virtual, we are all located somewhere, and all of the youth in this study lived on Treaty One Territory. Youth were invited to participate in research interviews where they shared their stories of experiencing NSSI. Youth were also invited to take part in creating their own artwork that more fully articulates their experiences. We heard from young people in this study that they felt like they could not talk about self-harm, and that when they did, they were not always understood, resulting in stigma and a lack of knowledge and understanding around what it is like to live with feelings of needing to self-harm. Through this virtual art gallery, we hope to reduce the stigma and increase understanding of what it is like to be a youth experiencing NSSI.
Please make sure to read the meaningful captions to see how youth describe their artwork in their own words. In recognition that young people are graciously sharing their artwork with you, please enter the gallery with respect, kindness, and carefulness for what you are about to witness.
This art gallery explores life and love as well as experiences of loss, pain, and grief. For some people, the art gallery may evoke painful feelings. We encourage you to be gentle with and take care of yourself as you explore the gallery. You can quickly leave the gallery to take a breath by closing out of the gallery. A list of resources is available for those needing additional support.
Dr. Woodgate and her team are grateful to all the young people who shared their experiences with us. We are also grateful to members of the Youth Advisory Committee and the project’s research coordinators, Ana Osorio and Rachelle Sass.
Funding for the “‘Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI) among Youth: Perspectives of youth who self-harm, their families and service providers” came from the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR).
If you have questions or want to share your thoughts about the study and/or virtually art gallery, please contact Dr. Roberta Woodgate, College of Nursing, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba by email: Roberta.Woodgate@umanitoba.ca. Stay tuned for updates on the study including manuscripts.
If the virtual art gallery is inaccessible to you, please contact IN•GAUGE at INGAUGE@umanitoba.ca and we will do our best to accommodate you.
Enter the Gallery
Move: Use your mouse to drag the view and the arrow keys to move. Click on the floor to go to a specific spot.
Zoom: Scroll with your mouse or use the + and - keys.
A/V: Certain artworks contain A/V or information properties noted by a speaker or info icon. Click the icon to begin the presentation or learn more and click again to stop the presentation / hide the info.
VIEW THE 2D GALLERY:
Art Gallery Credits
Dr. Roberta L. Woodgate (she/her), Distinguished Professor and Canadian Research Chair (Tier 1), College of Nursing, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences (RFHS), University of Manitoba
Pauline Tennent, PhD (she/her), Manager, Centre for Human Rights Research
Julie-Anne McCarthy, PhD Candidate (she/her), Department of Community Health Sciences, RFHS, University of Manitoba
Are you struggling with self harm or know someone who is?
Kids Help Phone offers mental health support vial text, phone, or online.
Youthspace.ca is a free online crisis & emotional support chat service for youth under 30 across Canada.
9-8-8 is a safe space to talk, 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
Hope for Wellness Helpline offers immediate help to all Indigenous people across Canada. It is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to offer immediate support and crisis intervention.
Creative Commons License: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 (Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International): https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/?ref=chooser-v1