Self harm in adolescents is an increasingly recognized problem, and there is growing awareness of the important role schools and health services can play in detecting and supporting those at risk. By Their Own Young Hand explores the findings of the first large-scale survey of deliberate self harm and suicidal thinking in adolescents in the UK, and draws out the implications for prevention strategies and mental health promotion. Six thousand young people were asked about their experiences of self harm, the coping methods they use, and their attitudes to the help and support available. The authors identify the risk and protective factors for self harm, exploring why some adolescents with suicidal thoughts go on to harm themselves while others do not, what motivates some young people to seek help, and whether distressed teenagers feel they receive the support they need. By Their Own Young Hand offers practical advice on how schools can detect young people at risk, cope with the aftermath of self harm or attempted suicide, and develop training programmes for teachers. It also examines the roles of self-help, telephone helplines, email counselling, and walk-in crisis centres. Packed with adolescents' own personal accounts and perspectives, this accessible overview will be essential reading for teachers, social workers and mental health professionals.
1. Introduction and overview. Part One: The Nature of Deliberate Self-Harm in Adolescents. 2. Investigating deliberate self-harm in adolescents. 3. The nature, prevalence and impact of deliberate self-harm and other suicidal phenomena in adolescents. 4. How do adolescents who deliberately self-harm or have thoughts of self-harm differ from other adolescents? 5. Adolescents' help seeking, coping strategies and attitudes and their relevance to deliberate self-harm. Part Two: Prevention and Treatment of Deliberate Self-Harm in Adolescents. 6. Schools and deliberate self-harm. 7. The health service and deliberate self harm. 8. Self-help, crisis lines, the Internet, media and deliberate self-harm 9. Conclusions. References. Appendix I Guidelines used in the Schools Study for categorising respondents' descriptions of deliberate self-harm. Appendix II Information sheet given to participants after they completed the questionnaire. Appendix III Self-harm: guidelines for school staff. Appendix IV Robson's self concept scale (short version). Appendix V Useful contact addresses in the UK for advice for young people with problems, or their friends or relatives in need of advice. Appendix VI Sources of information about deliberate self-harm, suicide and mental health problems. Appendix VII Further reading. References. Subject index. Author index.
With the alarming rise in deliberate self-harm among young people, especially girls, there is a need for greater understanding of this important issue. Here is a book that provides this, with a comprehensive overview of the nature and the extent of deliberate self-harm in adolescentsÂ… The very practical recommendations and the guidelines provided in the appendices give useful pointers towards identifying vulnerable young people early on, and helping them address their problems before self-harming behaviours become very firmly entrenched patterns of coping. This is an invaluable resource for anyone working with young people, and specifically for teachers, social workers, mental health professionals, policy makers and researchers with an interest in this age group.
