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Kristen A, Lecchi T, Loades ME, Midgley N. "I can't escape my scars, even if I do get better": A qualitative exploration of how adolescents talk about their self-harm and self-harm scars during cognitive behavioural therapy for depression. Clin Child Psychol Psychiatry 2024; 29:1277-1295. [PMID: 38518813 DOI: 10.1177/13591045241241348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/24/2024]
Abstract
Emerging evidence indicates that perceptions of self-harm behaviours and self-harm scars may thwart recovery from depression, yet limited research has explored adolescent accounts of their self-harm and scars during therapy. This study sought to explore how adolescents describe their self-harm behaviours and scars during Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and explore the sociocultural discourses that may influence these descriptions. The participants were six female adolescents (aged 14-17 years old) with clinical depression, who were engaging in self-harm. All participants accessed CBT as part of clinical trial evaluating three psychological treatments for major depressive disorder in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. Audio-taped CBT sessions were analyzed using discourse analysis. Within CBT sessions, adolescents drew upon stigma discourses in talking about their self-harm. Adolescent also described their self-harm scars as shameful and stigmatizing, and as "proof" of the legitimacy of their depression. It is important for CBT practitioners to understand the context of sociocultural discourses around self-harm behaviours and self-harm scars, which are reflected in how adolescents with depression describe these within therapy and may serve to maintain distress. The study indicates that awareness of use of language and intersecting sociocultural discourses can inform CBT practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Kristen
- Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London and the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, UK
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Canada
| | - Tanya Lecchi
- Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London and the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, UK
| | | | - Nick Midgley
- Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London and the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, UK
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Quinlivan L, Gorman L, Littlewood DL, Monaghan E, Barlow SJ, Campbell S, Webb RT, Kapur N. ‘Wasn’t offered one, too poorly to ask for one’ – Reasons why
some patients do not receive a psychosocial assessment following
self-harm: Qualitative patient and carer survey. Aust N Z J Psychiatry 2022; 56:398-407. [PMID: 34015945 PMCID: PMC8941717 DOI: 10.1177/00048674211011262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Psychosocial assessment following self-harm presentations to hospital is an important aspect of care. However, many people attending hospital following self-harm do not receive an assessment. We sought to explore reasons why some patients do not receive a psychosocial assessment following self-harm from the perspective of patients and carers. METHODS Between March and November 2019, we recruited 88 patients and 14 carers aged ⩾18 years from 16 mental health trusts and community organisations in the United Kingdom, via social media, to a co-designed qualitative survey. Thematic analyses were used to interpret the data. RESULTS Patients' reasons for refusing an assessment included long waiting times, previous problematic interactions with staff and feeling unsafe when in the emergency department. Two people refused an assessment because they wanted to harm themselves again. Participants reported organisational reasons for non-assessment, including clinicians not offering assessments and exclusion due to alcohol intoxication. Other patients felt they did not reach clinically determined thresholds because of misconceptions over perceived heightened fatality risk with certain self-harm methods (e.g. self-poisoning vs self-cutting). CONCLUSION Our results provide important insights into some of the reasons why some people may not receive a psychosocial assessment following self-harm. Parallel assessments, compassionate care and specialist alcohol services in acute hospitals may help reduce the number of people who leave before an assessment. Education may help address erroneous beliefs that self-injury and self-harm repetition are not associated with greatly raised suicide risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leah Quinlivan
- Division of Psychology and Mental
Health, Centre for Mental Health and Safety, The University of Manchester,
Manchester, UK,Manchester Academic Health
Science Centre, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK,NIHR Greater Manchester Patient
Safety Translational Research Centre, The University of Manchester,
Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK,Leah Quinlivan, Centre for Mental
Health and Safety, The University of Manchester, Jean McFarlane
Building, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.
| | - Louise Gorman
- Division of Psychology and Mental
Health, Centre for Mental Health and Safety, The University of Manchester,
Manchester, UK,Manchester Academic Health
Science Centre, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK,NIHR Greater Manchester Patient
Safety Translational Research Centre, The University of Manchester,
Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK
| | - Donna L Littlewood
- Division of Psychology and Mental
Health, Centre for Mental Health and Safety, The University of Manchester,
Manchester, UK,Manchester Academic Health
Science Centre, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK,NIHR Greater Manchester Patient
Safety Translational Research Centre, The University of Manchester,
Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK
| | - Elizabeth Monaghan
- NIHR Greater Manchester Patient
Safety Translational Research Centre, The University of Manchester,
Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK
| | - Stephen J Barlow
- NIHR Greater Manchester Patient
Safety Translational Research Centre, The University of Manchester,
Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK
| | - Stephen Campbell
- NIHR Greater Manchester Patient
Safety Translational Research Centre, The University of Manchester,
Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK
| | - Roger T Webb
- Division of Psychology and Mental
Health, Centre for Mental Health and Safety, The University of Manchester,
Manchester, UK,Manchester Academic Health
Science Centre, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK,NIHR Greater Manchester Patient
Safety Translational Research Centre, The University of Manchester,
Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK
| | - Nav Kapur
- Division of Psychology and Mental
Health, Centre for Mental Health and Safety, The University of Manchester,
Manchester, UK,Manchester Academic Health
Science Centre, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK,NIHR Greater Manchester Patient
Safety Translational Research Centre, The University of Manchester,
Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK,Greater Manchester Mental Health
NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK
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