NATIONAL CONFIDENTIAL INQUIRY INTO SUICIDE AND HOMICIDE BY PEOPLE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS
Publisher:
University of Manchester
Publication year:
2016
Pagination:
20
Place of publication:
Manchester
... ill health, self-harm and suicidal ideas. The study concludes that agencies that work with young people can contribute to suicide prevention by recognising the pattern of cumulative risk and ‘final straw’ stresses that leads to suicide. Improved services for self-harm and access to CAMHS are crucial to addressing suicide and there is a vital role for schools, primary care, social services, and youth
(Edited publisher abstract)
An examination of suicides in England by people aged under 20 years who died between January 2014 and April 2015. This is the first phase of a UK-wide investigation into suicides by people aged under 25. The data was collected from a range of investigations by official bodies in England and no new investigations were conducted. The study identified relevant antecedents prior to suicide from these investigations. There were 145 suicides and probable suicides by children and young people in England in the study period. The suicide rate in this age group is low overall but is highest in the late teens. The majority of deaths were in males (70 per cent). Many young people who die by suicide have not expressed recent suicidal ideas and an absence of suicidal ideas cannot be assumed to show lack of risk. The ten common themes and associated factors in suicide by children and young people include: family factors such as mental illness; abuse and neglect; bereavement and experience of suicide; bullying; suicide-related internet use; academic pressures, especially related to exams; social isolation or withdrawal; physical health conditions that may have social impact; alcohol and illicit drugs; and mental ill health, self-harm and suicidal ideas. The study concludes that agencies that work with young people can contribute to suicide prevention by recognising the pattern of cumulative risk and ‘final straw’ stresses that leads to suicide. Improved services for self-harm and access to CAMHS are crucial to addressing suicide and there is a vital role for schools, primary care, social services, and youth justice.
(Edited publisher abstract)
This booklet provides accessible information and advice on self-harm.Self-harm describes any behaviour where someone causes harm to themselves, usually as a way to help cope with difficult or distressing thoughts and feelings. It most frequently takes the form of cutting, burning or nonlethal overdoses. However, it can also be any behaviour that causes injury – no matter how minor, or high-risk
(Edited publisher abstract)
This booklet provides accessible information and advice on self-harm. Self-harm describes any behaviour where someone causes harm to themselves, usually as a way to help cope with difficult or distressing thoughts and feelings. It most frequently takes the form of cutting, burning or nonlethal overdoses. However, it can also be any behaviour that causes injury – no matter how minor, or high-risk behaviours. This resource explains how to get help, the recovery process, how to keep safe, and what to do, and look out for, if worried that someone may be self-harming.
(Edited publisher abstract)
YOUNGMINDS, ROYAL COLLEGE OF PSYCHIATRISTS, CHARLIE WALLER MEMORIAL TRUST
Publisher:
YoungMinds
Publication year:
2016
Pagination:
10
Place of publication:
London
Provides simple guidance to help professionals support young people who are self-harming. Self-harm describes any way in which a young person might harm themselves or put themselves at risk in order to cope with difficult thoughts, feelings or experiences. It affects up to 1 in 5 young people and spans the divides of gender, class, age and ethnicity. The document examines: how to recognise the self-harm warning signs; how to hold the first conversation; what to do when a young person is not ready to talk; what to do when there are concerns about a young person's immediate safety; how to provide practical support; and how to provide support within the context of a whole school approach.
(Edited publisher abstract)
Provides simple guidance to help professionals support young people who are self-harming. Self-harm describes any way in which a young person might harm themselves or put themselves at risk in order to cope with difficult thoughts, feelings or experiences. It affects up to 1 in 5 young people and spans the divides of gender, class, age and ethnicity. The document examines: how to recognise the self-harm warning signs; how to hold the first conversation; what to do when a young person is not ready to talk; what to do when there are concerns about a young person's immediate safety; how to provide practical support; and how to provide support within the context of a whole school approach.
(Edited publisher abstract)
Subject terms:
mental health problems, self-harm, young people, good practice;
Journal of Social Work Practice, 30(1), 2016, pp.69-80.
Publisher:
Taylor and Francis
Place of publication:
Philadelphia, USA
This paper examines the potential contribution of forgiveness therapy to social workers who may often encounter clients who have experienced severe interpersonal injury, or who have inflicted significant harm upon themselves or others. Basic theoretical and empirical perspectives on the processes and dynamics of forgiveness, as well as an introduction to forgiveness therapy, are provided. A case example demonstrating the application of forgiveness therapy in a social work setting is utilised to underscore points of convergence and potential divergence between this innovative therapeutic approach and important social work values and practice concepts. Research directions that may promote the further incorporation of forgiveness and forgiveness therapy into social work are indicated.
(Publisher abstract)
This paper examines the potential contribution of forgiveness therapy to social workers who may often encounter clients who have experienced severe interpersonal injury, or who have inflicted significant harm upon themselves or others. Basic theoretical and empirical perspectives on the processes and dynamics of forgiveness, as well as an introduction to forgiveness therapy, are provided. A case example demonstrating the application of forgiveness therapy in a social work setting is utilised to underscore points of convergence and potential divergence between this innovative therapeutic approach and important social work values and practice concepts. Research directions that may promote the further incorporation of forgiveness and forgiveness therapy into social work are indicated.
(Publisher abstract)
Subject terms:
therapies, social workers, self-harm, values, injuries;
GREAT BRITAIN. Parliament. House of Commons. Health Committee
Publisher:
Great Britain. House of Commons
Publication year:
2016
Pagination:
26
Place of publication:
London
Interim findings of an inquiry into suicide prevention, drawing on over 150 submissions and oral evidence from a range of organisations and individuals, including those bereaved by suicide or with lived experience of suicidal ideation. The report argues that the scale of the avoidable loss of life from suicide is unacceptable, with 4820 people recorded as having died by suicide in England in 2015 but with the true figure likely to be higher. The report outlines five key areas for consideration by the Government before the refreshed suicide prevention strategy is finalised: implementation—a clear implementation programme underpinned by external scrutiny is required; services to support people who are vulnerable to suicide—this includes wider support for public mental health and wellbeing alongside the identification of and targeted support for at risk groups, early intervention services, access to help in non-clinical settings, and improvements in both primary and secondary care, and services for those bereaved by suicide; consensus statement on sharing information with families—professionals need better training to ensure that opportunities to involve families or friends in a patient’s recovery are maximised, where appropriate; data—timely and consistent data is needed to enable swift responses to suspected suicides and to identify possible clusters, in order to prevent further suicides and to identify possible clusters, in order to prevent further suicides; and media—media guidelines relating to the reporting of suicide are being widely ignored and greater attention must be paid to dealing with breaches by the media, at national and local level. Consideration should also be given to what changes should be made to restrict access to potentially harmful internet sites and content.
(Edited publisher abstract)
Interim findings of an inquiry into suicide prevention, drawing on over 150 submissions and oral evidence from a range of organisations and individuals, including those bereaved by suicide or with lived experience of suicidal ideation. The report argues that the scale of the avoidable loss of life from suicide is unacceptable, with 4820 people recorded as having died by suicide in England in 2015 but with the true figure likely to be higher. The report outlines five key areas for consideration by the Government before the refreshed suicide prevention strategy is finalised: implementation—a clear implementation programme underpinned by external scrutiny is required; services to support people who are vulnerable to suicide—this includes wider support for public mental health and wellbeing alongside the identification of and targeted support for at risk groups, early intervention services, access to help in non-clinical settings, and improvements in both primary and secondary care, and services for those bereaved by suicide; consensus statement on sharing information with families—professionals need better training to ensure that opportunities to involve families or friends in a patient’s recovery are maximised, where appropriate; data—timely and consistent data is needed to enable swift responses to suspected suicides and to identify possible clusters, in order to prevent further suicides and to identify possible clusters, in order to prevent further suicides; and media—media guidelines relating to the reporting of suicide are being widely ignored and greater attention must be paid to dealing with breaches by the media, at national and local level. Consideration should also be given to what changes should be made to restrict access to potentially harmful internet sites and content.
(Edited publisher abstract)
Subject terms:
suicide, self-harm, prevention, mental health problems, information sharing, mass media;
British Journal of Psychiatry, 209(4), 2016, pp.277-283.
Publisher:
Cambridge University Press
Background: People with a history of self-harm are at a far greater risk of suicide than the general population. However, the relationship between self-harm and suicide is complex.
Aims: To undertake the first systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies of risk factors and risk assessment scales to predict suicide following self-harm.
Method: A search for prospective cohort studies on risk scales were included. Four risk factors emerged from the meta-analysis, with robust effect sizes that showed little change when adjusted for important potential confounders. These included: previous episodes of self-harm, physical health problems and male gender. The included studies evaluated only three risk scales (Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS), Suicide Intent Scale (SIS) and Scale for Suicide
(Edited publisher abstract)
Background: People with a history of self-harm are at a far greater risk of suicide than the general population. However, the relationship between self-harm and suicide is complex.
Aims: To undertake the first systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies of risk factors and risk assessment scales to predict suicide following self-harm.
Method: A search for prospective cohort studies of populations who had self-harmed was conducted. For the review of risk scales we also included studies examining the risk of suicide in people under specialist mental healthcare, in order to broaden the scope of the review and increase the number of studies considered. Differences in predictive accuracy between populations were examined where applicable.
Results: Twelve studies on risk factors and 7 studies on risk scales were included. Four risk factors emerged from the meta-analysis, with robust effect sizes that showed little change when adjusted for important potential confounders. These included: previous episodes of self-harm, physical health problems and male gender. The included studies evaluated only three risk scales (Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS), Suicide Intent Scale (SIS) and Scale for Suicide Ideation). Where meta-analyses were possible (BHS, SIS), the analysis was based on sparse data and a high heterogeneity was observed. The positive predictive values ranged from 1.3 to 16.7%.
Conclusions: The four risk factors that emerged, although of interest, are unlikely to be of much practical use because they are comparatively common in clinical populations. No scales have sufficient evidence to support their use. The use of these scales, or an over-reliance on the identification of risk factors in clinical practice, may provide false reassurance and is, therefore, potentially dangerous. Comprehensive psychosocial assessments of the risks and needs that are specific to the individual should be central to the management of people who have self-harmed.
(Edited publisher abstract)
Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 29(4), 2016, p.387–393.
Publisher:
Wiley
Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between depression, hopelessness, problem-solving ability and self-harming behaviours amongst people with mild intellectual disabilities (IDs).
Methods: Thirty-six people with mild IDs (77.9% women, Mage = 31.77, SD = 10.73, MIQ = 62.65, SD = 5.74) who had a history of self-harm were recruited. Participants were asked to complete measures of depression, hopelessness and problem-solving ability.
Results: Cutting was most frequently observed, and depression was prevalent amongst the sample. There was a significant positive relationship between depression and hopelessness, while there was no significant relationship between self-harm and depression or hopelessness. Problem-solving ability explained 15% of the variance in self-harm scores.
Conclusions : Problem-solving ability appears to be associated with self-harming behaviours in people with mild IDs.
(Publisher abstract)
Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between depression, hopelessness, problem-solving ability and self-harming behaviours amongst people with mild intellectual disabilities (IDs).
Methods: Thirty-six people with mild IDs (77.9% women, Mage = 31.77, SD = 10.73, MIQ = 62.65, SD = 5.74) who had a history of self-harm were recruited. Participants were asked to complete measures of depression, hopelessness and problem-solving ability.
Results: Cutting was most frequently observed, and depression was prevalent amongst the sample. There was a significant positive relationship between depression and hopelessness, while there was no significant relationship between self-harm and depression or hopelessness. Problem-solving ability explained 15% of the variance in self-harm scores.
Conclusions : Problem-solving ability appears to be associated with self-harming behaviours in people with mild IDs.
(Publisher abstract)
Subject terms:
learning disabilities, problem solving, self-harm, depression, behaviour, mental health problems;
British Journal of Psychiatry, 208(5), 2016, pp.470-476.
Publisher:
Cambridge University Press
Background: Implementation intentions link triggers for self-harm with coping skills and appear to create an automatic tendency to invoke coping responses when faced with a triggering situation.
Aims: To test the effectiveness of implementation intentions in reducing suicidal ideation and behaviour in a high-risk group.
Method: Two hundred and twenty-six patients who had self-harmed were
(Edited publisher abstract)
Background: Implementation intentions link triggers for self-harm with coping skills and appear to create an automatic tendency to invoke coping responses when faced with a triggering situation.
Aims: To test the effectiveness of implementation intentions in reducing suicidal ideation and behaviour in a high-risk group.
Method: Two hundred and twenty-six patients who had self-harmed were randomised to: (a) forming implementation intentions with a ‘volitional help sheet’; (b) self-generating implementation intentions without help; or (c) thinking about triggers and coping, but not forming implementation intentions. The study measured self-reported suicidal ideation and behaviour, threats of suicide and likelihood of future suicide attempt at baseline and then again at the 3-month follow-up.
Results: All suicide-related outcome measures were significantly lower at follow-up among patients forming implementation intentions compared with those in the control condition. The volitional help sheet resulted in fewer suicide threats and lowered the likelihood of future suicide attempts compared with patients who self-generated implementation intentions.
Conclusions: Implementation intention-based interventions, particularly when supported by a volitional help sheet, show promise in reducing future suicidal ideation and behaviour.
(Edited publisher abstract)
Journal of Family Therapy, 38(2), 2016, p.206–225.
Publisher:
Wiley
This article describes the use of emotion talk in the context of using a manualised approach to family therapy where the presenting problem is self-harm. Whilst the authors understand that there is an internal aspect to emotion, they also consider emotions to be socially purposeful, culturally constructed and interactional. The authors found that within the presenting families, negative emotions
(Edited publisher abstract)
This article describes the use of emotion talk in the context of using a manualised approach to family therapy where the presenting problem is self-harm. Whilst the authors understand that there is an internal aspect to emotion, they also consider emotions to be socially purposeful, culturally constructed and interactional. The authors found that within the presenting families, negative emotions were often talked about as located within the young person. Through using ‘emotion talk’ (Fredman, 2004) in deconstructing and tracking emotions and exploring how emotions connected to family-of-origin and cultural contexts, the authors developed an interactional understanding of these emotions. This led to better emotional regulation within the family and offered alternative ways of relating. The article discusses the use of relational reflexivity, and using the therapist and team's emotions to enable the therapeutic process, encouraging reflexivity on the self of the therapist in relation to work with emotions.
(Edited publisher abstract)
Subject terms:
communication, young people, emotions, family therapy, family relations, parent-child relations, self-harm;
PALMER Elizabeth, WELSH Patrick, TIFFIN Paul Alexander
Journal article citation:
Journal of Family Therapy, 38(2), 2016, p.257–273.
Publisher:
Wiley
This study compares the self-reported family functioning of 21 adolescents presenting at four UK medical wards with self-harming behaviour with those obtained from a sample of adolescents drawn from the local community. Adolescents hospitalised for self-harm reported that their families were more dysfunctional than healthy controls on the family perceptions scale. However, this difference was not observed when covariates such as emotional and behavioural distress were controlled for. Poor levels of agreement between adolescents and adult family members in relation to family perceptions were also observed. The findings suggest that adolescents who engage in significant self-harm perceive impairments in their family functioning. These reported impairments may be the result of concurrent emotional
(Publisher abstract)
This study compares the self-reported family functioning of 21 adolescents presenting at four UK medical wards with self-harming behaviour with those obtained from a sample of adolescents drawn from the local community. Adolescents hospitalised for self-harm reported that their families were more dysfunctional than healthy controls on the family perceptions scale. However, this difference was not observed when covariates such as emotional and behavioural distress were controlled for. Poor levels of agreement between adolescents and adult family members in relation to family perceptions were also observed. The findings suggest that adolescents who engage in significant self-harm perceive impairments in their family functioning. These reported impairments may be the result of concurrent emotional and behavioural distress or some form of interaction between family functioning and distress. A comprehensive family assessment to detect absolute changes and disparities in perceived family functioning may therefore help guide family interventions in this context.
(Publisher abstract)
Subject terms:
young people, self-harm, family therapy, mental health problems, family relations, parent-child relations;