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

Suicide and self-harm in children: prevalence rates cause for concern

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In Mahmoud Arif’s debut blog, he and Rasanat Fatima Nawaz summarise a meta-analysis published in The Lancet Psychiatry, which estimated the prevalence rates of self-harm behaviours and suicidal ideation in children aged 12 years and under.

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Are the kids alright? Emergency help for suicide and self-harm during the COVID-19 pandemic

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In her debut blog, Molly McCarthy appraises a recent Lancet Psychiatry systematic review and meta-analysis exploring the patterns of paediatric emergency department visits for suicide attempts, suicidal ideation, and self-harm incidents before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Suicide and self-harm in nurses and midwives: urgent attention needed according to new systematic review

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Ben Hannigan summarises a recent systematic review exploring the prevalence, risk factors and interventions for suicide and self-harm in nurses and midwives.

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Ketamine and suicidal ideation: French trial finds modest short-term effects

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Anya Borissova reviews a French trial that claims to be evidence that “ketamine is rapid, safe in the short term, and has persistent benefits for acute care in suicidal patients”.

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Improving our understanding of the links between loneliness and mental health problems

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Zuva Dengu summaries a review of longitudinal studies investigating the relationship between loneliness and new onset of mental health problems in the general population.

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Suicide risk among LGBTQ+ adolescents in Canada

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Jess Williams examines a nationally representative population-based study on suicidality among sexual minority and transgender adolescents in Canada.

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Trans and gender diverse youth more likely to be admitted to hospital for suicidality and self-harm, according to US study

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Sarah Carr reflects on a recent US study that “perhaps tells us something deeper about the discrimination and stigmatisation in mental health that needs to be tackled.”

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What’s the link between neurodevelopmental or mental disorders and school absence or exclusion?

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Chris Fielding summarises a Welsh cohort study which finds that neurodevelopmental and mental disorders are linked to school absenteeism and exclusion.

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Can smartphone apps help female adolescents who self-harm?

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Natalie Kashirsky summarises a qualitative study finding that young people think “smartphone apps are cool”, but possibly unhelpful for coping with self-harm.

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Intimate partner violence, suicide and self-harm: uncovering the links

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Piumee Bandara summarises a cross-sectional study which finds that people who had experienced lifetime intimate partner violence (IPV) were almost three times more likely to have made a suicide attempt in the past year, compared to people without experience of IPV.

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