Self-harm intervention vital part of suicide prevention
Self-harm intervention is a vital part of suicide prevention for young people in care according to recent research from experts at the University of Nottingham. In the UK and ROI, more than 6,000 people die by suicide a year - an average of 18 a day. The research is being highlighted as part of World Suicide Prevention Day on 10th September and has been led by Professor Ellen Townsend from the school of Psychology at the University of Nottingham. The research published in the British Journal of Clinical Psychology is the first detailed study of factors leading to self-harm over time in young people in care in England, using the Card Sort Task for Self-Harm (CaTS) to describe sequences of factors leading to the young person's first and most recent episodes of self-harm. This process provides young people with tools to map out thoughts, feelings and behaviours on a timeline leading up to, and immediately after a self-harm event. These can then be used to open up conversations and help formulate possible ways to help. Analysis of the results from the Card Sort Task showed that young people in care felt better immediately after their first episode of self-harm with feelings of depression and sadness, and having the access to the means to self-harm, cited as key factors leading to self-harm.
