Attitudes toward adolescent self-harm and its prevention: The views of those who self-harm and their peers.

Abstract

Adolescent self-harm is a common phenomenon; however, little is known about young peoples' attitudes toward self-harm and what they believe can be done to prevent it. This study aimed to identify adolescents' attitudes about self-harm and their perspectives on preventing it. A cross-sectional anonymous survey was administered to 856 post-primary school students across 11 schools in Dublin, Ireland. Attitudes toward self-harm were captured through a five-item scale and views on prevention of self-harm were captured through an open-ended survey question. Responses from those who self-harmed and those who did not were compared to identify differences. Significant differences were identified between those who self-harmed and their peers. Those who self-harmed were less likely to believe that self-harm was carried out to get attention or was a result of loneliness or depression; they were more likely to believe that self-harm was impulsive. Findings demonstrated that a majority of young people believed that self-harm could be prevented and a number of preventative strategies were identified. It is important that the views of adolescents are incorporated into the design and delivery of youth-friendly services and that there is a focus on increasing awareness of the youth-orientated services that currently exist.