‘Self-harm is wrong’: the experience of self-harming behaviours that inflict external injuries to the body in UK-based Bangladeshi, Indian and Pakistani women: an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

Abstract

This study investigated the experience of self-harming behaviour that inflicts external injuries to the body in UK based Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi (UKBIP) women. A total of eight participants were recruited via purposive sampling and semi-structured interviews were carried out. The interviews were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Analyses were carried out on an individual and group level and three super-ordinate themes, and nine sub-ordinate themes emerged. The superordinate themes were: ‘Powerlessness’ (‘Entrapment’, ‘Internalised Negativity’ and ‘Abused by my Environment’), ‘Mitigation’ (‘Releasing my Overwhelming Emotions’, ‘Connecting to my Pain’ and ‘Addicted to Self-harm’) and ‘Self-harm is Wrong’ (‘It must be Hidden’, ‘What have I done to myself?’ & ‘My Self-harm is Sinful’). The analyses revealed novel insights on the impact and importance of some South-Asian cultural values and beliefs on the experience of self-harm in South-Asian women. This paper will focus on the third superordinate theme and related sub themes, that of ‘Self-harm is Wrong’.