Caring for Young People Who Self-Harm: A review of Perspectives from Families and Young People
Garry King
Senior Lecturer (Adjunct) at Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention - Griffith University/ Professional Supervision / Guidance Counsellor / Workshop Facilitator
by S Curtis; P Thorn; A McRoberts; S Hetrick; S Rice & J Robinson.
It is estimated that one in 11 young people between the ages of 12 and 17 have self-harmed at some point in their life, yet worryingly, less than half of these seek help.
Research has consistently indicated that parents feel uncertain and fearful when faced with a child who is engaging in self-harm and experience intense feelings of guilt and shame. As such, providing evidence-based information about self-harm to parents could increase their confidence in managing and supporting their young person.
Dissemination of this information is likely to assist in the reduction of feelings such as guilt and shame, as well as the stigma that serves as a significant barrier to help-seeking for both parents and young people. Researchers, clinicians and policy makers can assist this process by making information about self-harm more widely available in a range of formats, thus educating the public and reducing misconceptions.
Empowering parents to effectively support a young person through self-harm is essential for the prevention of self-harm repetition, promotion of future help-seeking, and reduction of suicide risk.
(Full article may be accessed at-Int J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2015, 15, 950; doi:10.3390/ijerph15050950).
Reading you may be interested in: What Ever Parent Should Know About Self Harm and Their Children by Garry King $15- including postage, available from www.agenda2001consulting.com/ (go to “store” tab)
Narrative Therapist, psychosocial recovery coach, case manager and author of surviving the streets
3yMichael white gives a great example of how to approach this in his book "Maps of Narrative Practice"