BACKGROUND: Parents' perspectives on self-harm are considered important, but have not been explored. AIMS: To gain perspective of parents of adolescents who self-harm on: (a) history of self-harm and health service provision; (b) their understanding and ability to make sense of self-harm behaviour; (c) emotional and personal impact; and (d) parent skills as carer and hope for the future. METHOD: Interpretative phenomenological analysis was applied to semi-structured interviews with 12 parents of adolescents receiving treatment for self-harm in community child and adolescent mental health services. RESULTS: Parents commonly suspected and spotted self-harm prior to disclosure or service contact; however, communication difficulties and underestimating significance led to delays in addressing the behaviour. Parents struggled to understand and cope with self-harm. CONCLUSIONS: Parents require advice and support from outside services to help them manage self-harming behaviour and its personal impact. This study suggests parents are early to spot signs of self-harm, indicating their key role in reaching young people in the community who remain unknown to health services.
BACKGROUND: Parents' perspectives on self-harm are considered important, but have not been explored. AIMS: To gain perspective of parents of adolescents who self-harm on: (a) history of self-harm and health service provision; (b) their understanding and ability to make sense of self-harm behaviour; (c) emotional and personal impact; and (d) parent skills as carer and hope for the future. METHOD: Interpretative phenomenological analysis was applied to semi-structured interviews with 12 parents of adolescents receiving treatment for self-harm in community child and adolescent mental health services. RESULTS: Parents commonly suspected and spotted self-harm prior to disclosure or service contact; however, communication difficulties and underestimating significance led to delays in addressing the behaviour. Parents struggled to understand and cope with self-harm. CONCLUSIONS: Parents require advice and support from outside services to help them manage self-harming behaviour and its personal impact. This study suggests parents are early to spot signs of self-harm, indicating their key role in reaching young people in the community who remain unknown to health services.
Authors: Imke Baetens; Laurence Claes; Patrick Onghena; Hans Grietens; Karla Van Leeuwen; Ciska Pieters; Jan R Wiersema; James W Griffith Journal: Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health Date: 2015-07-08 Impact factor: 3.033
Authors: Anne E Ferrey; Nicholas D Hughes; Sue Simkin; Louise Locock; Anne Stewart; Navneet Kapur; David Gunnell; Keith Hawton Journal: Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health Date: 2016-07-02 Impact factor: 3.033
Authors: Anne E Ferrey; Nicholas D Hughes; Sue Simkin; Louise Locock; Anne Stewart; Navneet Kapur; David Gunnell; Keith Hawton Journal: BMJ Open Date: 2016-01-06 Impact factor: 2.692