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The chronicity of self-injurious behaviour: a long-term follow-up of a total population study
- Authors:
- TAYLOR Lorne, OLIVER Chris, MURPHY Glynis
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 24(2), March 2011, pp.105-117.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Self-injury is common for people with intellectual disabilities, and is associated with various risk identifiers, such as degree of disability, sensory impairments, and autism. This study investigated the quality of life and changes in behaviour for a cohort of 49 people with intellectual disabilities and self-injurious behaviour (SIB) who were all part of a previous total population study conducted in the south of England. Findings revealed that 84% of the sample continued to self-injure nearly 20 years on, with no significant mean changes in severity. More people were receiving psychological treatment; more were also receiving anti-convulsant and anti-psychotic medications, though polypharmacy had reduced. The number of people accessing full-time day activities had decreased, with 44% of people only accessing structured daily activities for 2.5 days per week or less. The authors concluded that this study added to the growing evidence of extreme chronicity for SIB and the relative lack of impact of treatment for people in whom SIB was well-established. In ending, they highlight the importance of early intervention to help eliminate SIB.