@article{ref1,
title="A necessary pain: a literature review of young people's experiences of self-harm",
journal="Issues in mental health nursing",
year="2021",
author="Lindgren, Britt-Marie and Wikander, Tove and Neyra Marklund, Isabel and Molin, Jenny",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
abstract="BACKGROUND: Self-harm is defined as intentional self-injury without the wish to die. People who self-harm report feeling poorly treated by healthcare professionals, and nurses wish to know how best to respond to and care for them. Increased understanding of the meaning of self-harm can help nurses collaborate with young people who self-harm to achieve positive healthcare outcomes for them. <br><br>AIM: This review aimed to synthesise qualitative research on young peoples' experiences of living with self-harm. <br><br>METHOD: A literature search in CINAHL, PubMed, and PsycINFO resulted in the inclusion of 10 qualitative articles that were subjected to metasynthesis. <br><br>RESULTS: The results show that young people's experiences of living with self-harm are multifaceted and felt to be a necessary pain. They used self-harm to make life manageable, reporting it provided relief, security, and a way to control overwhelming feelings. They suffered from feeling addicted to self-harm and from shame, guilt, and self-punishment. They felt alienated, lonely, and judged by people around them, from whom they tried to hide their real feelings. Instead of words, they used their wounds and scars as a cry for help. <br><br>CONCLUSION: Young people who harm themselves view self-harm as a necessary pain; they suffer, but rarely get the help they need. Further research is necessary to learn how to offer these people the help they need.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0161-2840",
doi="10.1080/01612840.2021.1948640",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01612840.2021.1948640"
}