Citation

Cleaver K. Br. J. Nurs. 2007; 16(3): 148-152.

Affiliation

Family Care and Mental Health, School of Health and Social Care, University of Greenwich, London.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, Mark Allen Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

17363880

Abstract

Deliberate self-harm is recognized as a serious public health issue in young people. There is evidence that young people who self-harm are more likely to repeat self-harm, and this in turn increases their risk of completed suicide. Prevalence studies have identified that the rate of self-harm among young people is on the increase, information largely based on data arising from review and analysis of hospital attendances. However, community-based studies indicate that the prevalence is much higher, with those seen in emergency departments representing the 'tip of the iceberg' (Hawton and Rodham, 2006). Young people's motives for self-harm are discussed, as are research findings which indicate that nurses can have negative attitudes towards patients who self-harm. The article considers the implications of this for young people and identifies areas for future research.

Language: en