Young Women's Experiences of Self-harm: Commonalities, Distinctions and Complexities (original) (raw)
Related papers
Young Women’s Experiences of Self-harm
YOUNG, 2016
Though self-harm is a significant problem among young people, the extant literature is somewhat unclear as to the meanings and functions of different forms. Nonetheless, it appears that young women engage in self-harm in general more frequently than any other group. This research explored the narratives of 22 young women who had engaged in both non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicidal behaviour, to examine the meanings of self-harm. The behaviours are distinct insofar as they take different forms and serve different purposes. However, a key contribution of this research is that, in contrast to constructions of self-harming behaviours as occurring on a continuum from the less to more severe with overlapping or confused motivations and intentions, the data suggest a cyclical pattern of behaviour, in which the protagonist moves between NSSI and suicidal behaviour, and NSSI is clearly counter-suicidal.
Women's Studies Female Deliberate Self-Harm: The Women's Perspectives
Women's Studies: An interdisciplinary journal, 2018
Although there has been a great deal of research into self-harm in recent years, in-depth investigation into the experiences of those who engage in this behaviour is still needed. In this article I discuss the findings from interviews with young women who had engaged in deliberate self-harm (particularly non-suicidal self-injury, although some had also made suicide attempts). The understandings of these women, which encompasses initial motivators for self-harm, through to help-seeking and experiences of others' responses, are presented.
Self Harm: Age & Gender – Perception and Reality
This paper looks at how well some of the perceived characteristics of people who self-harm, Age and Gender, fit with the reality of Self Harm in the community. For most non experts, and undoubtedly a few experts as well, the perception of people who self=harm is one of almost exclusively young, teenage, and predominately female. This is not surprising as the language, images and targeting of both press reports, Support and information organisations web sites as well as academic papers reinforce that perception. While it is obviously difficult to fully and accurately understand the demographic makeup of the people who shelf-harm, it is often a secret activity, we can, I suggest, get a first level approximation of the issue from those presenting to hospital emergency departments. Statistics from the south west of England do not support the stereotype that it is teens and young people – 15-29 that are the majority group. In fact the 30-44 age range present at hospital in almost identical numbers with the 45 – 74 age group reaching 50% of the numbers of the younger groups. The same statistics also show only a excess of females presenting in the 15-29 age group but with the gap narrowing in the older age groups I think form this it if fair to say that self-harm impacts both genders and all ages, and while young females do seem to have a higher prevalence of self-harm the statistics do show that the perception of self-harm as a predominantly young female issues is far from the truth.
Frontiers in Psychiatry
Engagement in self-harm, defined as intentional self-poisoning or self-injury irrespective of the apparent purpose of the act, is increasing, particularly among girls and young women. Understanding the behavior from the perspective of those who self-harm is, therefore, vital in designing effective interventions and treatments. The current brief research report presents a key theme from an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of the experience of self-harm among eight young women, aged between 18 and 29. The theme Is Self-Harm Bad? concerns the way in which participants both acknowledged and resisted a negative conception of self-harm that was often constructed from other people's attitudes. Three subthemes explore the reasons why participants were reluctant to endorse self-harm as bad: Self-Harm is the Symptom, Self-Harm Works (Until it Doesn't) and Self-Harm is Part of Me. The findings highlight the disparity between the characterization of self-harm as a highly risky b...
There is an established international literature on the prevalence of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). However, New Zealand information regarding prevalence, attitudes, motivation, co-morbidities, etc., is limited. In this study data were collected using an on-line survey from approximately 850 university students regarding self-injurious behaviour, risk and protective factors, mental health co-morbidity, help-seeking, and addiction. Our data revealed that 293 participants (38%) had engaged in NSSI on at least one occasion in their lifetime, elevated risk for females who were lesbian or bisexual, and different patterns of site and function of injury by gender. Given research suggesting that Māori (indigenous New Zealanders) are at elevated risk for suicide it was surprising that those identifying as Māori were at no greater risk of NSSI than those identifying as New Zealanders of European origin. Females were more likely to exhibit chronic self-injuring and more likely to engage in more 'covert' forms of self-injury that can be hidden or disguised (e.g., scratching and cutting on their wrists, arms or thighs) whereas males were more likely to engage in 'overt' forms of self-injury (e.g., banging or punching themselves or objects with their hands or head). Patterns of NSSI were similar to international comparisons, although prevalence was somewhat elevated. A number of factors differed by gender, including underlying reasons, forms, rates and increasing severity of self-injury, which add to the international literature.
Non-suicidal self-injury: Suicide risk or social activity
Deliberate self-harm (DSH) has been conceptualised as indicative of mental illness, on a continuum ending with suicide. Recently our understanding of DSH has become more nuanced, with distinctions made between suicidal behaviour and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). Indeed, there is some evidence that NSSI may be consciously counter-suicidal. Moreover, NSSI appears to have recently increased markedly among young women. This research explores the motivations, meanings and functions of NSSI in young New Zealand women through 19 in-depth interviews. The results show that precursors range from serious anguish including suicidality, to purely social, with functions from the alleviation of distress to participation in a social activity. Often minimal physical or psychological harm is involved, either preceding NSSI, or as a result. Previous beliefs about the dynamics and the social contexts in which NSSI occurs are thus problematic, as are assumptions about the appropriate support. Though a potential indicator of mental ill-health, NSSI may be a harm-reduction technique, or a relatively normalised teenage activity within the peer group.
Hearing the voices of young people who self-harm: Implications for service providers
International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 2014
The incidence of adolescent self-harm and suicidal behaviour has increased globally, with many adolescents repeating the behaviour. While studies indicate that large numbers of adolescents who self-harm do not seek professional help, research focusing on barriers to help seeking from an adolescent perspective is limited. Locally, a rise in reported and unreported rates of self-harm and a number of suspected child suicides prompted the commissioning of a research project to ascertain young people's experiences of help and support for self-harm and how their future needs could be best met. Qualitative research, adopting an interpretive phenomenological analysis, was used to elicit narratives of adolescents engaging in self-harm. Data were collected via 1:1 interviews with seven participants and analysed in two stages: an analysis of each individual narrative, and thematic analysis across the group. Three themes were identified: (i) cutting out the stress; (ii) stepping onto the path of help; and (iii) cutting to the chase. In conclusion, mental health nurses have a vital role in providing knowledge and support to those likely to have initial contact with this vulnerable group and to the wider population, ensuring we more effectively address the increasing use of this risky behaviour among young people.
Frontiers in Psychiatry
Introduction: Suicide and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) are major problems in adolescent psychiatry and share numerous clinical characteristics. The principal objective of this study is to describe the subjective experience of adolescent girls and young women who present NSSI and/or suicidal behaviors and to determine the common aspects and the specificities of each experience. Method: This exploratory study is based on a procedure that is qualitative, phenomenological, and inductive. The data were collected from two semi-structured interviews each of 18 girls and young women aged 12-21 years, who were receiving care from a psychiatrist specializing in adolescents and who at least once had harmed themselves by NSSI or attempted suicide, or both. The thematic data analysis was performed by applying the methods of interpretative phenomenological analysis. Results: The results are described around four superordinate themes: relationships with the self, with others/otherness, with the body, and with death; they are then subdivided into 13 themes. Several themes appeared common to both types of behavior, especially the relational dimension of self-harming acts. The process of separation-individuation seems complex for these youth. Conclusion: The results underline the relational aspects of the self-harming behavior (NSSI or suicidal) among adolescent girls. These aspects also appear to be expressed in the family sphere, the social sphere, in contact with peers, and also at a societal level when the community no longer addresses adolescents' difficulties. When the process of subjectification does not appear to reach completion, self-aggressive behavior is seen as an ultimate attempt to regain a feeling of autonomy.
The British Journal of Psychiatry, 2007
Background Self-harm among young people in the UK is possibly increasing but little is known about the reasons young people give for cessation and their link with gender or employment status. Aims To investigate self-harm in young people, prevalence, methods used, motivations for starting and ceasing, service use, and how these are related to gender, parental social class and current labour market position. Method Population-based survey of 1258 18-to 20-year-olds living in the Central Clydeside Conurbation, Scotland. Results Both past and current rates of self-harm were highest among those outside the labour market. This group was most likely to want to kill themselves and did not cite specialist mental health services as helpful in ceasing self-harm. Those in full-time education more often self-harmed for a brief time, mainly to reduce anxiety. Conclusions Current labour market position was a stronger predictor than parental social class or gender for self-harm, and was linked to ...