Self-harm in adolescents is an increasingly recognized problem, and there is growing awareness of the important role schools and health services can play in detecting and supporting those at risk. By Their Own Young Hand explores the findings of the first large-scale survey of deliberate self-harm and suicidal thinking in adolescents in the UK, and draws out the implications for prevention strategies and mental health promotion.
Six thousand young people were asked about their experiences of self-harm, the coping methods they use, and their attitudes to the help and support available. The authors identify the risk and protective factors for self-harm, exploring why some adolescents with suicidal thoughts go on to harm themselves while others do not, what motivates some young people to seek help, and whether distressed teenagers feel they receive the support they need. By Their Own Young Hand offers practical advice on how schools can detect young people at risk, cope with the aftermath of self-harm or attempted suicide, and develop training programmes for teachers. It also examines the roles of self-help, telephone helplines, email counselling, and walk-in crisis centres.
Packed with adolescents' own personal accounts and perspectives, this accessible overview will be essential reading for teachers, social workers and mental health professionals.
1. Introduction and overview. Part One: The Nature of Deliberate Self-Harm in Adolescents. 2. Investigating deliberate self-harm in adolescents. 3. The nature, prevalence and impact of deliberate self-harm and other suicidal phenomena in adolescents. 4. How do adolescents who deliberately self-harm or have thoughts of self-harm differ from other adolescents? 5. Adolescents' help seeking, coping strategies and attitudes and their relevance to deliberate self-harm. Part Two: Prevention and Treatment of Deliberate Self-Harm in Adolescents. 6. Schools and deliberate self-harm. 7. The health service and deliberate self harm. 8. Self-help, crisis lines, the Internet, media and deliberate self-harm 9. Conclusions. References. Appendix I Guidelines used in the Schools Study for categorising respondents' descriptions of deliberate self-harm. Appendix II Information sheet given to participants after they completed the questionnaire. Appendix III Self-harm: guidelines for school staff. Appendix IV Robson's self concept scale (short version). Appendix V Useful contact addresses in the UK for advice for young people with problems, or their friends or relatives in need of advice. Appendix VI Sources of information about deliberate self-harm, suicide and mental health problems. Appendix VII Further reading. References. Subject index. Author index.
