@article{ref1,
title="Evidence that implementation intentions reduce self-harm in the community",
journal="British journal of health psychology",
year="2023",
author="Paterson, Abigail and Elliott, Mark A. and Nicholls, Louise A. Brown and Rasmussen, Susan",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
abstract="OBJECTIVES: Implementation intentions are 'IF-THEN' plans that encourage goal-intended behaviour. This study was designed to test whether an intervention encouraging the formation of implementation intentions can reduce self-harm in the community. <br><br>DESIGN: A randomized controlled design was used. <br><br>METHODS: At pre-intervention, outcome variables (self-harm in both specified and unspecified critical situations and suicidality) and potential moderators of implementation intentions (goal intention, mental imagery, and exposure to self-harm) were measured using self-report questionnaires. The participants (N = 469, aged 18-66 years, 86.4% female, 6.8% male and 6.7% other) were then randomized to either an experimental (implementation intention) or control task. At three-months post-intervention, self-report questionnaires were used again to measure the outcome variables. <br><br>RESULTS: There were no overall differences between the conditions at post-intervention. However, goal intention and mental imagery, but not exposure to self-harm, moderated the effects of condition on self-harm in specified critical situations. At high (mean + 1SD) levels of both goal intention and mental imagery, the experimental condition reported self-harming less frequently in the situations specified in their implementation intentions. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Implementation intentions therefore represent a useful intervention for reducing self-harm in specified critical situations for people in the community who wish to avoid self-harm and those who frequently experience self-harm and suicide related mental imagery.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1359-107X",
doi="10.1111/bjhp.12682",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bjhp.12682"
}