Background: Self-injury can be defined as deliberate harm one's own body without conscious intent to commit suicide. These patients need skilled care. Purpose: Illuminate nursing staff attitudes and treatment of patients with self-injury behaviour for individuals diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. Method: A general literature study has been made. Based on the objective was a literature search in various databases with ten relevant articles were selected and reviewed. Results: The results were presented along four main categories: a challenging patient population, health professionals perceptions, attitudes before and after education and Attitude of health professionals when they feel they can help. The results show that some staff working with patients with self-injury behaviour may find that this can be a challenging patient group. Training and regular supervision of health workers is a positive change in attitude and response. Discussion: Through training and mentoring for health professionals obtain the knowledge required to get a different understanding of patients with self-injury behaviour. This may change their attitude that can lead to better care. Conclusions: These patients are unique individuals with special needs. Through education one can obtain the knowledge required to understand these patients, who in turn may lead to the nursing staff is able to maintain respect and understanding for these people.

Bakgrund: Självskadebeteende har tidigare uppfattats som ett tecken på allvarlig psykisk sjukdom och det ansågs enbart vara mycket förvirrade människor som skadade sig själva. Studier visar att självskadebeteende oftast är något människor begår i ensamhet och majoriteten väljer heller inte att uppsöka sjukvård. Kunskap om självskadebeteende och attityder till patienter som skadar sig kan bidra till en ökad förståelse hos sjuksköterskor för fenomenet.  Syfte: Syftet med denna litteraturstudie är att beskriva sjuksköterskors attityder till patienter med självskadebeteende. Metod: Uppsatsen är baserad på en litteraturstudie där nio artiklar analyserats med vägledning av Fribergs kriterier för analys av vetenskapliga studier. Resultat: Resultatet presenteras utifrån fyra huvudteman med 16 tillhörande subteman. De fyra huvudtemana är; sjuksköterskors föreställningar, sjuksköterskors känslor, sjuksköterskors värderingar samt sjuksköterskors handlingar. Resultatet visar att sjuksköterskors attityder till patienter med självskadebeteende är mångskiftande. Diskussion: Författarna skapade sex teman utifrån det i resultatet som kunde vara av intresse att lyfta fram. En diskussion kring dessa sex teman fördes sedan mot bakgrundsinformationen och Katie Erikssons teori om lidandet. Med hänsyn till vetskapen om att tankar och känslor inte alltid styr vårt handlande, valde författarna att inte dra slutsatsen att sjuksköterskor endera har positiva eller negativa attityder till patienter med självskadebeteende.

Archived data was utilized for the present study which examined knowledge about non-suicidal self-injury, or NSSI, in individuals who engage in various degrees of the behavior and those who do not self-injure. Knowledge about NSSI was measured in three groups of respondents: those with no history of self-injurious behavior (no NSSI group), those with more limited experience with NSSI who reported 1-30 incidences of NSSI (limited NSSI group), and those with an extensive history (extensive NSSI group) who reported over 30 incidences of NSSI. To measure knowledge, participants were asked level of agreement with myths and facts about NSSI using Jeffery and Warm’s (2002) knowledge measure. It was hypothesized that the knowledge base would be higher in individuals with more extensive histories of NSSI. Further, individuals with limited histories of NSSI were predicted to have more knowledge than those who have never self-injured. Additionally, this study also hypothesized that the individual item response will vary; depending on extent of NSSI behavior. Group mean scores on the measure were analyzed for differences using a one-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) while controlling for the differing group demographic variables of age, sexual orientation, and education level. Results indicated that individuals who have more extensive histories of NSSI evidenced higher mean scores on the measure when controlling for age, sexual orientation and educational level. Individuals with limited histories of NSSI evidenced lower mean scores, and those with no history of NSSI evidenced the lowest scores. In regard to individual item response, items were correlated with seven levels of NSSI (no NSSI, one incident of NSSI, 2-4 incidences, 5-10 incidences, 11-20 incidences, 21-30 incidences and more than 30 incidences). It was found that accuracy was significantly correlated with degree of self-injurious behaviors, with the exception of one item. This item and three additional items also produced weak correlations with other items on the measure. Each item is discussed with regard to group item performance and possible deletions in order to strengthen the measure. Overall, the results of this investigation supported the reliability and validity of the Jeffery and Warm (2002) knowledge measure for use with individuals who self-injure. Results are discussed in relation to the need for accurate knowledge about NSSI, the importance of refining and strengthen the measure for this use, and additional research directions.

Background: Since the end of the 1990`s the self-harm among adolescents have increased. Research is needed on how to improve the ability to care for these patients. That is why it is important to investigate how patients who self-harm and the next of kin are encountered by the caregivers. Aim: The aim of this study was to illuminate the experiences of encounters with caregivers at self-harm. Method: The study was based on narratives, which in this case means analysis of autobiographies. Five autobiographies were analyzed in accordance with a description by Dahlborg-Lyckhage. Four of these were written by self-harmers and one by a next of kin. Results: Three themes and twelve subthemes emerged which describe both negative and positive experiences of encounters with caregivers. The themes were resignation, impotence and consideration. Negative attitudes and unprofessional manners were often experienced by both the self-harmers and the next of kin. This led to experiences of disappointment, disrespect and powerlessness. When the caregivers confirmed and displayed understanding, the self-harmers and next of kin experienced consideration in the encounter. Conclusion: As a caregiver it is very important to keep in mind that all patients and their next of kin are individuals. The caregivers need to be professional, display understanding and support. More research increase knowledge and understanding and results hopefully in caring encounters. Keywords: adolescents, autobiography, next of kin, nursing staff, self-injury.

No description available.

The aim of this study was to examine self-harming women’s own experiences. To try and raise understanding and awareness about how they themselves create their identity and meaning round the self-harming behaviour. Our three questions were; how do the young women conceive society’s reactions on their self-harming behaviour? Do the young women express an imposed or self-elected alienation? If so, in what way? In what way do the young self-harming women construe their own identity in relation to the self-harming behaviour? We have used a narrative approach when we have examined the blogs as life stories in the sense that all our lives and everything in them is a story by definition. We have examined the parts of the blogs we selected as whole units to begin with, we separated the different parts from each other first when we were familiar with the material. The analysis then had an interpersonal aim to find out the function and relation in what was written. That does not exclude the use of both form analysis or the analysis of content with we also have used side by side throughout our analysis.    Our results show that this subject matter has several layers and so is a complex area that would benefit from more research with the young women´s perspective at hand. The young women describe several interesting interpretations on how their society comprehends them. They often feel judged and have to struggle with deciding if and when to show who they really are, both in regards to their bodies and inner self’s. This stigmatisation is apparent throughout all of our material. The young women also express that they feel forced into roles that they on the one hand have chosen but on the other hand don’t want to stay in. The women also express a desire to belong in the normal society like an equal. In addition the women express that they construct their identity both within themselves to make sense of their chaotic emotions, but they also experience that their society is a big part in their identity making process. Society’s expectations on them force them to take one of a few available routes in their identity making. In our results a few of these are visible the two most apparent is a dichotomy between victim and antagonist, these two positions don’t appear separately but is often visible in the same segments of the texts.

Studien handlar om självskadebeteende. Syftet med undersökningen var att få reda på vilka yttre faktorer som påverkade tre unga tjejer att börja skada sig själva. Forskningen på området anser att personer börjar skada sig själva pågrund av sexuella övergrepp i ung ålder, men det framgår tydligt i resultatet att sexuella övergrepp i detta fall inte påverkade tjejerna i studien. Till grund för tjejernas destruktiva beteende ligger traumatiska händelser i deras uppväxt både i lågstadieålder samt högstadieålder. Metoden som användes i studien var semistrukturerade intervjuer eftersom intervjuaren då kan rikta sin fulla uppmärksamhet mot respondenten. Resultatet är utformat på ett narrativt sätt vilket gjorde att resultatet kunde presenteras i berättelseform. I resultatet framkom vilka yttre påverkansfaktorer som påverkade tjejerna att börja skada sig, som till exempel föräldrars skilsmässa, eller plötslig död i deras nära omgivning.

In this study we investigated the effects of birth order and gender on nonsuicidalself-injury and perceived parental support. This study’s main purposewas to challenge the current use of birth order in psychology. The studyincluded a short questionnaire assessing birth order, gender, perceived parentalsupport and non-suicidal self-injury. The questionnaire was distributed throughan online survey among young adults attending a university in a medium sizedcity in Sweden (N = 202). To explore the perceived parental support, we usedThe Social Provisions scale and non-suicidal self-injury was assessed by theDeliberate Self-harm Inventory, short 9-item scale. The results of these studiesshowed that birth order had no significant effect on non-suicidal self-injury orperceived parental support. On the other hand, the results suggested that genderhad a significant effect on non-suicidal self-injury, with females engaging onnon-suicidal injury more frequently than men. This contradicts earlier studieswhere no effect of gender has been present in young adults. Gender had noapparent effect on perceived parental support. / I denna studie undersökte vi effekten av placering i syskonskaran och kön påicke-suicidalt självskadebeteende och upplevt föräldrastöd. Denna studieshuvudsyfte var att utmana hur placeringen i syskonskaran används i psykologi.Studien inkluderade ett kortare frågeformulär som mätte placering isyskonskaran, kön, upplevt föräldrastöd och icke-suicidalt självskadebeteende.Frågeformuläret delades ut genom en online-baserad undersökning för ungavuxna som studerar på ett universitet i en medelstor svensk stad (N = 202). Föratt undersöka upplevt föräldrastöd använde vi oss av The Social Provisionsscale och icke-suicidalt självskadebeteende undersöktes av Deliberate SelfharmInventory, short 9-item scale. Resultatet av denna studie visade attplacering i syskonskaran inte hade några signifikanta effekter på varken ickesuicidaltsjälvskadebeteende eller upplevt föräldrastöd. Dock visade det sig attkön hade en effekt på icke-suicidalt självskadebeteende, då kvinnor hade enhögre prevalens att praktisera än män. Kön hade ingen uppenbar effekt påupplevt föräldrastöd.

Repetitive self-mutilation (RSM) has become increasingly prevalent among adolescents. Empirical research has pinpointed several correlates of this behavior, but the initiation and maintenance of RSM among adolescents are not well understood. The experiential avoidance model (EAM) proposes that self-mutilation is a behavior that allows for the avoidance or alteration of unwanted internal experiences, and that it is negatively reinforced with repetition. The current study explored the usefulness of the EAM as an explanatory theory for adolescent RSM, with the additional incorporation of issues of social context. Adolescents (N = 211) from three school-based samples completed self-report questionnaires. One-third of students reported at least one incident of purposeful, non-suicidal self-mutilation and 16% had engaged in self-mutilation repeatedly within the past 6 months. Both regression and group analyses indicated that adolescents who engage in RSM report greater psychological distress, a greater incidence of functionally equivalent behaviors, and greater exposure to self-mutilation among peers and/or in the media, when compared to their counterparts who have not engaged in RSM. Suicidal ideation/behaviors were consistently the strongest predictors of current self-mutilation behaviors. Clinical implications, limitations, and suggestions for future research are discussed.

The primary interest of this investigation concerned the self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITBs) of inpatient adolescents. Previous researchers have provided descriptive information regarding either automatic (or intrinsic) and social components using the Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors Interview (SITBI). However, the presence and trends of these components have not firmly been established, suggesting the need to explore this area further. Eighty-two adolescent inpatients were selected and interviewed using the SITBI to evaluate the predictive ability of self-reported self-injurious behavior with regard to social and automatic, negative and positive functions. Results showed that depending on the type of thought or behavior displayed one could discern the motivation behind their actions. Automatic-Negative was seen to have the strongest relationship across all SITB behaviors while Automatic-Negative was not found to be relatively low compared to other SITB behaviors. Both Social-Positive and Social-Negative were found to be present in moderate relationships compared to Automatic in general.