self-harm

Self-harm is not usually an attempt at taking our own life, but a way of expressing deep emotional feelings, such as low self-esteem. It is also a way to cope with traumatic events or situations, such as the death of a loved one, or an abusive relationship. Self-harm is not an illness, it is an expression of personal distress.

Our self-harm Blogs

The prevalence of digital self-harm among adolescents

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Alexander Foster and Tatiana Salisbury publish their debut blog on a recent study of digital self-harm in adolescents. In case you’re wondering, digital self-harm is the anonymous online posting, sending or sharing of hurtful content about oneself.

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Mental illness and neurobiological correlates in the transgender population

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Dean Connolly publish their debut blog on a literature review of transgender research, which reports on the prevalence of mental illness in the transgender population.

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Blended therapy for men who self-harm #DigiMHweek

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Olivia Kirtley looks at a qualitative study of a blended therapy using problem solving therapy with a customised smartphone app in men who present to hospital with intentional self-harm.

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Future self-harm may be reduced with a brief psychological intervention, but perhaps only for the more severe

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Angharad de Cates explores a recent RCT of a brief psychological intervention to reduce repetition of self-harm in patients admitted to hospital following a suicide attempt.

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Trauma-related childhood hospital admission linked with self-harm and violent crime in young adults

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Emily Stapley summarises a recent Danish national cohort study, which looks at self-harm and violent criminality among young people who experienced trauma-related childhood hospital admission.

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Predicting suicide following self-harm: risk analysis provides little help

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Camille Hart, Alys Cole-King and Siobhan O’Neill co-author this blog about a recent systematic review of risk factors and risk scales, which explores the feasibility of predicting suicide following self-harm.

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Lithium for bipolar disorder: the best maintenance mood stabiliser protection against self-harm and suicide?

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Michael Ostacher provides a robust appraisal of a recent UK cohort study that suggests bipolar disorder patients taking lithium had reduced self-harm and unintentional injury rates, when compared with patients taking valproate, olanzapine or quetiapine.

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Locked wards vs open wards: does control = safety?

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André Tomlin summarises a 15 year observational study published today in The Lancet Psychiatry, which provides fascinating insight into suicide risk and absconding in psychiatric inpatient units with locked wards and open door policies.

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Self-harm on the rise, but many denied mental health assessments

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Katrina Witt explores a recently published paper that draws on the Multicentre Study of Self-Harm in England. The cohort study found that around one-half of self-harm patients do not receive psychosocial assessment, despite 2004 NICE guidance that recommends everyone who has self-harmed should have a comprehensive assessment of needs and risk.

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safeTALK for youth suicide prevention: new review finds no evidence of safety or efficacy

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Olivia Kirtley and Alys Cole-King appraise a new systematic review of the safeTALK school and community based youth suicide prevention intervention, which finds no evidence of safety or efficacy for this well established programme.

The blog also features a podcast featuring Olivia and Alys, along with Professor Stanley Kutcher, the lead author of this new review.

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