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Stigma towards non-suicidal self-harm: evaluating a brief educational intervention

14 March 2019
Professional
02 March 2019
Volume 28 · Issue 5

Abstract

Background:

health professionals' attitudes towards self-harming behaviour are predominantly negative. Research examining educational interventions to change negative attitudes is limited.

Aims:

this study aimed to provide an educational intervention for student nurses to change negative attitudes around self-harm.

Methods:

attitudes around self-harm and mental health in general were assessed through the Self-Harm Antipathy Scale and the Mental Health Attitude Scale. Fifty-five adult nursing students took part in the 45–minute intervention. This included facts and figures, celebrity stories and personal stories regarding self-harm, all intended to increase understanding.

Findings:

after the intervention, attitudes measured by the Self-Harm Antipathy Scale had improved significantly.

Conclusion:

patients who self-harm will without doubt continue to experience negative attitudes from health professionals. This study shows an educational intervention can change attitudes towards those who self-harm.

Levels of self-harm in the UK and Ireland are increasing, particularly in adolescents (Brunner et al, 2007; Karman et al, 2015; Griffin et al, 2018; Heyward-Chaplin et al, 2018), with more than 200 000 presentations to accident and emergency (A&E) departments for self-harm annually (Hawton et al, 2007). This has become a considerable problem for people working in healthcare settings and is exacerbated by the bed crisis.

Individuals use a range of methods to harm themselves intentionally. These can include cutting-type behaviours (including scratching and poking), hitting, banging or biting type behaviours, burning, overdosing, eating-disordered behaviour, reckless behaviour or bone-breaking (Laye-Gindhu and Schonert-Reichl, 2005; Victor and Klonsky, 2014).

As with mental illness in general, stigma around self-harm has been found in the healthcare professions (Storey et al, 2005; Friedman et al, 2006; McHale and Felton, 2010; Karman et al, 2015; Mitten et al, 2016), with research suggesting that some staff believe patients who self-harm are ‘manipulative and attention-seeking’ (Friedman et al, 2006).

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Self-harm
Mental health stigma
Education
Attitudes