Understanding Skin-cutting in Adolescence

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 33-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Le Breton
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Risk Taking ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Self And Other ◽  
Adolescent Risk ◽  
Self Harm ◽  
Ongoing Project ◽  
Skin Cutting

Adolescents are said to be, figuratively speaking, thin-skinned. But their thin-skinnedness is also real: both ambivalent and ambiguous, the border between self and other is, for many young people, a source of constant turmoil. The recourse to bodily self-harm is a means of dealing with this turmoil and the feelings of powerlessness it generates. Drawing on extensive semi-structured interviews conducted over the course of the last twenty years, this article explores the experiences of adolescents who engage in self-cutting. A deliberate and controlled use of pain, this ‘symbolic homeopathy’ – that is, harming oneself to feel less pain – acts as a defence against externally imposed suffering. Far from being destructive, self-harm practices can paradoxically be understood as survival techniques. Part of a long-term, ongoing project investigating adolescent risk-taking, this article seeks to better understand the experiences of teens who injure themselves through skin-cutting.

scholarly journals A Qualitative Account of Young People’s Experiences Seeking Care from Emergency Departments for Self-Harm

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 2892
Author(s):  
Sadhbh J. Byrne ◽  
India Bellairs-Walsh ◽  
Simon M. Rice ◽  
Sarah Bendall ◽  
Michelle Lamblin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Intervention ◽  
Young People ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Staff Training ◽  
Emergency Departments ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Optimal Treatment ◽  
Physical Injury ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Self Harm

Many young people who engage in self-harm do not seek help from health services. For those that do, emergency departments (EDs) are a key point of contact. Substantial gaps remain in current knowledge related to young consumers’ experiences and views on optimal treatment of self-harm in the ED. In this study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with thirteen young people (Mage = 21.2 years), who were engaged with care at headspace early intervention centers and had presented to an ED with a self-inflicted physical injury. Participants were asked to describe their experience in the ED and the care they received. Data were analyzed thematically. Three inter-related themes were identified: 1. The ED was experienced through a lens of significant distress, 2. The ED environment and processes were counter-therapeutic, and 3. Staff were perceived to be disinterested, dismissive, and lacking in knowledge. The study highlights the overwhelmingly negative nature of participants’ experiences, and presents recommendations for service and practice improvements, such as the provision of staff training and increased aftercare.

scholarly journals Adolescent risk-taking: comparison between adolescents' and adults' opinion

2007 ◽  
Vol 17 (38) ◽  
pp. 357-364
Author(s):  
Neslihan Güney Karaman ◽  
Figen Çok
Keyword(s):  
Life Events ◽  
Risk Taking ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Adolescent Risk ◽  
Economic Background ◽  
Adolescents And Adults

Adolescent risk-taking is one of the most important issues in current research on adolescence. This study aimed to exam the opinion of adolescents and adults regarding adolescent risk-taking. A total of 10 adults aged between 40-50 and 10 adolescents aged between 16-19 from middle socio-economic background residing in Ankara, Turkey, were interviewed. Adults' and adolescents' definitions and examples of risk-taking, and their perspectives regarding its sources were studied. Interviews were transcribed. Results showed that adolescents' beliefs regarding risk-taking lack a long-term perspective as they do not consider consequences of their actions and future results. Adults' beliefs on adolescent risk-taking seem to be more realistic and more related to life events than that of adolescents. Future research comparing views of both groups is needed.

scholarly journals Working with Young People at Risk of Suicidal Behaviour and Self-Harm: A Qualitative Study of Australian General Practitioners’ Perspectives

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (24) ◽  
pp. 12926
Author(s):  
India Bellairs-Walsh ◽  
Sadhbh J. Byrne ◽  
Sarah Bendall ◽  
Yael Perry ◽  
Karolina Krysinska ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Young People ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
General Practitioners ◽  
Suicidal Behaviour ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Service Access ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Mental Health Support ◽  
Self Harm

General Practitioners (GPs) play a crucial role in the identification and support of young people at risk of suicidal behaviour and self-harm; however, no studies have explored GPs’ perspectives, approaches, challenges, and resource needs when working with this cohort in an Australian setting. This was a qualitative study where fifteen GPs (Mage = 45.25 years) from multiple clinics in Western Australia took part in semi-structured interviews, and data were analysed thematically. Seven main themes were identified: (1) working with young people has its unique challenges; (2) screening and assessment tools can help to manage uncertainty and discomfort; (3) going beyond tools–the dialogue and relationship are most important; (4) there are limits to what we can offer in the time available; (5) the service access and referral pathways lack clarity and coordination; (6) the provision of mental health support should not fall on GPs alone; and (7) more comprehensive training in suicide and self-harm is needed. The findings highlight a number of opportunities to enhance care and better assist GPs working with young people who present with suicidal behaviour and self-harm, including considerations for conducting assessments, targeted resources such as training, and system and service improvements.

scholarly journals Experiences of general practice care for self-harm: a qualitative study of young people's perspectives

2021 ◽  
pp. BJGP.2021.0091
Author(s):  
Faraz Mughal ◽  
Lisa Dikomitis ◽  
Opeyemi Babatunde ◽  
Carolyn A Chew-Graham
Keyword(s):  
General Practice ◽  
Young People ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Public Involvement ◽  
Advisory Group ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Self Harm ◽  
Gp Care ◽  
General Practice Care ◽  
Practice Care

Background: Self-harm is a growing concern and rates of self-harm in young people presenting to general practice are rising. There is however an absence of evidence on young people’s experiences of GP care and on accessing general practice. Aim: To explore the help-seeking behaviours, experiences of GP care, and access to general practice for young people who self-harm. Design and setting: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with young people aged 16-25 from England with previous self-harm behaviour. Method: Interviews with 13 young people occurred between April and November 2019. Young people were recruited from the community, third-sector organisation, and Twitter. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis with principles of constant comparison. A patient and public involvement advisory group informed recruitment strategies and supported interpretation of findings. Results: Young people described avenues of help-seeking they employ and reflected on mixed experiences of seeing GPs which can influence future help-seeking. Preconceptions and a lack of knowledge on accessing general practice were found to be barriers to help-seeking. GPs who attempted to understand the young person and establishing relationship-based care can facilitate young people accessing general practice care for self-harm. Conclusion: It is therefore important young people are aware how to access general practice care and that GPs listen, understand, and proactively follow-up young people who self-harm. Supporting young people with self-harm behaviour requires continuity of care.

scholarly journals What young people say about impulsivity in the short-term build up to self-harm: A qualitative study using card-sort tasks

PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (12) ◽  
pp. e0244319
Author(s):  
Joanna Lockwood ◽  
Ellen Townsend ◽  
Heather Allen ◽  
David Daley ◽  
Kapil Sayal
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Further Education ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Card Sort ◽  
Cognitive Context ◽  
Trait Impulsivity ◽  
Self Harm ◽  
The Uk

Youth who self-harm report high levels of trait impulsivity and identify impulsive behaviour as a proximal factor directly preceding a self-harm act. Yet, impulsivity is a multidimensional construct and distinct impulsivity-related facets relate differentially to self-harm outcomes. Studies have yet to examine if and how a multidimensional account of impulsivity is meaningful to individual experiences and understandings of self-harm in youth. We explored the salience and context of multidimensional impulsivity within narratives of self-harm, and specifically in relation to the short-term build-up to a self-harm episode. Fifteen community-based adolescents (aged 16–22 years) attending Further Education (FE) colleges in the UK took part in individual face-to-face sessions (involving exploratory card-sort tasks and semi-structured interviews) which explored factors relating to self-harm, impulsivity and the broader emotional, developmental and cognitive context. Session data were analysed thematically. Two overarching themes, and associated subthemes, were identified: ‘How I respond to strong negative emotions’; and ‘Impulse versus deliberation- How much I think through what I’m doing before I do it’. Self-harm was typically a quick, impulsive act in the context of overwhelming emotion, underpinned by cognitive processing deficits. The dynamic tension between emotion-based impulsivity and controlled deliberation was articulated in the immediate moments before self-harm. However, impulsive responses were perceived as modifiable. Where self-harm patterns were established, these related to habitual behaviour and quick go-to responses. Young people identified with a multidimensional conception of impulsivity and described the impulsive context of a self-harm act as dynamic, contextual, and developmentally charged. Findings have implications for youth-focused work. Card-task frameworks are recommended to scaffold and facilitate discussion with young people, particularly where topics are sensitive, complex and multifactorial.

scholarly journals Adolescent risk-taking and social influence in the context of exploration

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Kai Ciranka ◽  
Wouter van den Bos
Keyword(s):  
Peer Influence ◽  
Risk Taking ◽  
Sensation Seeking ◽  
Developmental Stages ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
Learning Agents ◽  
Adolescent Risk ◽  
Adolescent Behaviour ◽  
Excessive Risk Taking

Adolescents are often described as a strange and different species that behaves like no other age group, typical behaviours being excessive risk-taking and sensitivity to peer influence. Different theories of adolescent behaviour attribute this to different internal mechanisms like undeveloped cognitive control, higher sensation-seeking or extraordinary social motivation. Many agree that some of adolescent risk-taking behaviour is adaptive. Here we argue that to understand adolescent risk-taking, and why it may be adaptive, research needs to pay attention to the adolescent environments’ structure and view adolescents as learning and exploring agents in it. We identify three unique aspects of the adolescent environment: 1) the opportunities to take risks are increased significantly, 2) these opportunities are novel and their outcomes uncertain, and 3) peers become more important. Next, we illustrate how adolescent risk-taking may emerge from learning using agent-based modelling, and show that a typical inverted-U shape in risk-taking may emerge in absence of a specific adolescent motivational drive for sensation-seeking or sensitivity to social information. The simulations also show how risky exploration may be necessary for adolescents to gain long-term benefits in later developmental stages and that social learning can help reduce losses. Finally, we discuss how a renewed ecological perspective and the focus on adolescents as learning agents may shift the interpretation of current findings and inspire future studies.

scholarly journals The quest for genuine care: A qualitative study of the experiences of young people who self-harm in residential care

2020 ◽  
pp. 135910452098003
Author(s):  
Charlene Rouski ◽  
Susan Frances Knowles ◽  
William Sellwood ◽  
Suzanne Hodge
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Residential Care ◽  
Care Setting ◽  
Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Loss Of Control ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Need For Support ◽  
Self Harm ◽  
Managing Risk ◽  
Relational Response

Levels of self-harm for young people in care are high, and even higher for those in residential care. Recent research highlights the importance of understanding self-harm relationally. Such an approach may be of particular value for understanding the self-harm of young people in care. The aim of this research was to understand the experiences of young people who self-harm whilst living in residential care, with a particular focus on the effect of the care setting on their self-harm. Five young people participated in semi-structured interviews which were analysed using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis. Four themes emerged: ‘The black hole of self-harm’, ‘Seeking genuine care and containment’, ‘The cry to be understood’ and ‘Loss of control to the system.’ Young people recognised their need for support with their self-harm, but organisationally driven approaches to managing risk contributed to a perception that the care offered was not genuine, which led to an unwillingness to accept care. The findings highlight the need for a more compassionate, relational response to young people who self-harm in residential care.

Information-Seeking on the Internet

Crisis ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 211-219 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vinod Singaravelu ◽  
Anne Stewart ◽  
Joanna Adams ◽  
Sue Simkin ◽  
Keith Hawton
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Young People ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Search Terms ◽  
Specific Advice ◽  
Restriction Sites ◽  
Self Harm ◽  
Negative Tone

Abstract. Background: The Internet is used by young people at risk of self-harm to communicate, find information, and obtain support. Aims: We aimed to identify and analyze websites potentially accessed by these young people. Method: Six search terms, relating to self-harm/suicide and depression, were input into four search engines. Websites were analyzed for access, content/purpose, and tone. Results: In all, 314 websites were included in the analysis. Most could be accessed without restriction. Sites accessed by self-harm/suicide search terms were mostly positive or preventive in tone, whereas sites accessed by the term ways to kill yourself tended to have a negative tone. Information about self-harm methods was common with specific advice on how to self-harm in 15.8% of sites, encouragement of self-harm in 7.0%, and evocative images of self-harm/suicide in 20.7%. Advice on how to get help was given in 56.1% of sites. Conclusion: Websites relating to suicide or self-harm are easily accessed. Many sites are potentially helpful. However, a significant proportion of sites are potentially harmful through normalizing or encouraging self-harm. Enquiry regarding Internet use should be routinely included while assessing young people at risk.

Risk taking, self-harm, and exercise dependence

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua M. Brosvic ◽  
Gary M. Brosvic
Keyword(s):  
Risk Taking ◽  
Exercise Dependence ◽  
Self Harm
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