Psychological treatment may be effective in reducing self-harm

A new review,   published in  The Lancet Psychiatry ,  investigates the effectiveness of a number of different forms of psychological, or 'talking' therapies, for adults who self-harm. Self-harm, which includes all intentional self-poisoning or self-injury irrespective of suicidal or other motives, is often repeated and is strongly associated with an increased risk of suicide. It is a major problem in many countries and places large demands on health care services worldwide. Interventions investigated in a minimum of three independent randomised controlled trials (RCTs) were included in the report. There were 29 RCTs in the review, involving a total of 8,480 participants. Most of the RCTs (18 trials) investigated the effectiveness of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), a type of 'talking' therapy that helps people change the way they deal with problems through a focus on how a patient's beliefs and attitudes affect their feelings and behaviour. CBT-based psychological therapies combine cognitive therapy (helping patients with their thoughts) and behavioural therapy (helping patients change their behavioural responses). By the end of the follow-up period in these trials, people who had received CBT-based psychological therapy were less likely to self-harm.