Research has focused on adolescent white females indicating self-injury may be more prevalent among female Caucasian individuals. This presentation will present data from a current study that indicates males and other ethnic groups are engaged in self-injury, in differing ways than are being studied. Future research, clinical practice, and supervision needs to understand the importance of a broader holistic approach to conceptualize and treat self-injury.

University of Macau / Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities / Department of Psychology

Students of a south central university provide data for this study investigating knowledge of self-injury (SI), experiences with those who self-injure, and perceptions of SI. This study proposes that college peers of those who self-injure have higher levels of SI knowledge than professionals who work with individuals who self-injure. In addition, the study proposes that individuals who have experience with others who self-injure have higher levels of SI knowledge than individuals who do not have experience with others who self-injure. An additional purpose of this study is to explore information regarding experiences people have with others who self-injure and their perceptions of self-injurious behavior. A convenience sample of 495 members solicited from psychology courses at a south central university completed the survey, which consisted of four sections including the following: demographics, knowledge of SI, experiences with SI, and perceptions of SI. The knowledge section of the survey contains a 20-item measure previously used by Jeffrey and Warm (2002). A knowledge score was created based on participants responses to these 20 items. This score was used in the analysis of both hypotheses one and two. Results indicate that participants have a poor understanding of SI, based on their mean knowledge score. In addition, results reveal that the current sample’s mean SI knowledge level is lower than seven of the seven groups' mean knowledge scores. Mean knowledge scores are significantly greater for individuals indicating experience with others who self-injure than individuals reporting no experience with others who self-injure as assessed through independent t tests. Descriptive information indicates that participants do not reject those who self-injure, but rather are supportive in peer relationships with others that engage in the behavior. However, participants indicate considerable confusion surrounding the behavior and are generally not accepting of the behavior, choosing to encourage cessation of the behavior. Limitations discussed include sample demographics, possibility for misinterpretation of survey items, and potential social desirability bias.

SAMMANFATTNING Vårdpersonal möter patienter med självskadebeteende på olika avdelningar inom sjukvården. Vårdpersonalen har ofta svårt att bemöta denne patientgrupp eftersom de trots allt vårdar patienterna efter bästa förmåga ändå skadar sig igen. Detta väcker frustration och negativa känslor som vrede och mindre sympati för dessa patienter. Oftast är det unga kvinnor som lindrar sin ångest med att skada sig själva medan unga män oftare väljer att vara våldsamma eller aggressiva. Syftet med studien var att belysa vårdpersonalens uppfattning och bemötande av patienter med självskadebeteende. Metoden är en artikelgranskning. Resultatet visade att det är viktigt att vårdpersonal ser, förstår och bemöter patienterna med respekt för att de skall få ett bättre självförtroende. Varje person är unik och en egen individ. Det är därför viktigt att se bakom självskadande för att se till varje persons behov och förstå att det oftast är andra problem som ligger bakom självskadandet. Vårdpersonal med utbildning till att vårda patienter med självskadebeteende är bättre på att ta hand om dessa patienter än personal utan utbildning. Mera kunskap och utbildning om självskadandet skulle hjälpa personal till att upptäcka problemet tidigare. Vården skulle då bli bättre och kanske kortare för patienter med självskadebeteende.

<p>SAMMANFATTNING</p><p>Vårdpersonal möter patienter med självskadebeteende på olika avdelningar inom sjukvården. Vårdpersonalen har ofta svårt att bemöta denne patientgrupp eftersom de trots allt vårdar patienterna efter bästa förmåga ändå skadar sig igen. Detta väcker frustration och negativa känslor som vrede och mindre sympati för dessa patienter. Oftast är det unga kvinnor som lindrar sin ångest med att skada sig själva medan unga män oftare väljer att vara våldsamma eller aggressiva. Syftet med studien var att belysa vårdpersonalens uppfattning och bemötande av patienter med självskadebeteende. Metoden är en artikelgranskning. Resultatet visade att det är viktigt att vårdpersonal ser, förstår och bemöter patienterna med respekt för att de skall få ett bättre självförtroende. Varje person är unik och en egen individ. Det är därför viktigt att se bakom självskadande för att se till varje persons behov och förstå att det oftast är andra problem som ligger bakom självskadandet. Vårdpersonal med utbildning till att vårda patienter med självskadebeteende är bättre på att ta hand om dessa patienter än personal utan utbildning.</p><p>Mera kunskap och utbildning om självskadandet skulle hjälpa personal till att upptäcka problemet tidigare. Vården skulle då bli bättre och kanske kortare för patienter med självskadebeteende.</p>

Bakgrund: Självskadebeteende är fortfarande tabubelagt och förknippat med skam, trots att det är mer uppmärksammat nu än innan. Litteraturen beskriver att dessa patienter ofta bemöts med avsky och okunskap då hälso- och sjukvårdspersonal upplever det problematiskt att förhålla sig till dem. För att öka förståelsen för dessa patienter kommer denna litteraturöversikt att fokusera på patienternas egna erfarenheter av hälso- och sjukvården. Syftet: Syftet var att beskriva erfarenheter av hälso- och sjukvården hos patienter med ett självskadebeteende. Metod: Litteraturöversikt med kvalitativ innehållsanalys av 12 artiklar genomfördes. Resultatet: Fem kategorier skapades: Att finnas men inte synas- erfarenheter av den sviktande organisationen, En miljö som hämmar eller främjar- erfarenheter av den fysiska miljöns påverkan, Att hjälpa eller stjälpa- erfarenheter av personalens attityder, Mellan hopp och förtvivlan- erfarenheter av patientens egna känslor i mötet och Jag är unik men ni väljer att inte se- erfarenheter kring patientens önskemål om en individanpassad vård. Diskussion: Fynden diskuteras utifrån negativa och positiva aspekter samt diskuteras patienternas behov. Utifrån den etiska värdegrunden diskuteras hur vi kan förbättra patienternas erfarenheter av hälso- och sjukvården. Författarna diskuterar även fördelarna med individanpassad vård. / Background: Self- injurious behaviour is still taboo and associated with shame, even though it is more talked about now than before. The literature describe that these patients are still met with disgust and ignorance because the care-staff finds it problematic to relate to them. To increase understanding of this patient group, this literature review focuses on describing patient’s experiences of health-care. Aim: The aim was to describe experiences of health-care among patients with self-injurious behaviour. Method: A literature review with qualitative content analysis, based on 12 articles. Results: Five categories were created: To be but not be seen- experiences of the failing organisation; An environment that inhibits or promotes- experiences of the physical environment; To help or hinder- experiences of the staff´s attitudes; Between hope and despair- experiences of the patients own feelings in the encounter; I am unique but you choose not to see- experiences around the patient’s wishes for an individual- centered care. Discussion: The findings are discussed from a negative and positive view-point; also the patient’s individual needs are discussed. With a basis in ethical values, a discussion around how to better the experiences of health-care is held. The authors also discuss advantages of patient- centered care.

Research in the area of self-injurious behaviors and the family context is still emerging. The majority of research available is quantitative in nature. The limited qualitative research available in this area has been conducted outside of the United States. A collective case study was conducted with four parents with an adolescent that had been admitted to an inpatient psychiatric residential facility with a presenting problem of self-injurious behavior. The purpose of this study was to gain an in-depth, qualitative understanding of the parent perspective and comprehension of adolescent self-injurious behavior including the parents' ideas on how the parent-child relationship or other family relationships may have influenced the self-injury. With-in case and cross-case analyses were utilized from the collected data including field notes, interview scripts, member checking sessions, and medical record reviews. Themes identified using an inductive content analysis were discussed based on each primary interview question. Clinical implications included the importance of providing parental education, encouraging parent participation in therapy, treating self-injurious behavior from a trauma-informed perspective, and others were considered. Limitations of the present study, directions for the use of the present research, as well as implications for future research were reported.

Background Violence is a global public health problem and violence among youth is a matter of high priority. Adolescence and young adulthood are important periods for the foundation of future health. Youth victimization may have serious health consequences, making it important to address the occurrence and socio-medical context for possible interventions against violence. Aims To analyze prevalence, risk patterns and gender differences in emotional, physical, sexual, and multiple-violence victimizations and the associations between violence victimization and sexual ill health, sexual risk behaviors and mental health in Swedish youth. Methods A cross sectional study using two samples, a national sample from nine youth health centers in Sweden and a population-based sample from a middle-sized Swedish city. The questionnaire included standardized instruments addressing violence exposure (NorAQ), socio-demographics, mental and sexual ill-health and sexual risk behaviors, alcohol and substance use. Proportions and crude and adjusted odds ratios with a 95% CI were calculated. Results A total of 2,250 young women and 920 men, aged 15-23, answered the questionnaire at the youth health centers. In upper secondary school, 1,658 women and 1,589 men, aged 15-22, answered the questionnaire. High prevalence rates with gendered differences both in rates and in co-occurrence of different types of violence were found. Women were more often exposed to emotional violence and sexual violence than men, while men were more often physically victimized. For both women and men, violence victimization before the age of 15 was strongly associated with all types of violence victimizations during the past year. Strong associations were found between multiple-violence victimization and poor mental health in both genders. Among the sexually experienced students, consistent associations between lifetime multiple-violence victimization and various sexual ill-health and sexual risk behaviors were found in both genders, except for non-contraceptive use. Conclusions High prevalence of violence victimization in youth and strong associations between victimization, especially multiple victimization, and poor mental and sexual health were found. This needs to be recognized and addressed in social and medical settings.

Abstract   Author: Robert Andersson &amp; Oskar Karlsjö Title:“My first thought is a girl that cuts herself” – A qualitative study about professionals in human service organizations description of self-injurious behavior. Supervisor: Ann Ottengrim Assessor: Rickard Ulmestig   The purpose of this study has been to understand how professionals in human service organizations (HSO) describe self-injuries behaviour, how they describe the individuals that self-harm and if the professionals describe any possible differences in how men and women self-harm as well as how professional’s knowledge concerning self-injurious behaviour is contructed. The study answers three questions; - What kind of actions do professionals in HSO describe as being self-injurious behaviour? - How is knowledge constructed by professionals in HSO concerning self-injurious behaviour? - How are people who engage in self-injurious behaviour being described? - How do professionals in human service organizations describe potential differences between men and women´s self-injurious behaviour?   Qualitative interviews have been chosen as the method in this study to gather empirical data and the social constructionism theory has been implemented to analyse the empirical data. The result of this study shows that self-injurious behaviour is a complex and at the same time a dynamic phenomenon. There are a lot of different actions that are being describes as being self-injurious behaviour. An individual that cuts its own body tissue or an individual that often gets involved in psychical fights are examples of acts that are being described as having a self-injurious behaviour. The informants also described that their knowledge and what they define as self-injurious behaviour has changed over time in the field which indicates that self-injurious behaviour is a dynamic category. According to our results it doesn’t seem to exist a stereotype of whom and why someone engages in self-harm. But men tend to self-harm in a more severe way than women.

The following thesis outlines a study assessing the levels of perfectionism, self-injurious behaviour, and functions of anorexia nervosa (AN) through use of a cross-sectional online survey, among English speaking participants 15 years or older, self-reporting a current, previous, or suspected diagnosis of AN. Three distinct clusters were found using self-report measures from individuals with a current or suspected diagnosis, with each cluster corresponding to a unique theoretical understanding of AN. The three clusters can be distinguished by high asceticism, appearance, and avoidance of fertility/sexuality functions for AN respectively. Two distinct clusters were found for participants with a previous diagnosis of AN. These clusters can be differentiated by lingering sentiments held for the condition, as the first cluster viewed AN negatively, and the second cluster continued to see some benefits of the condition. Possible implications for understanding etiology, mechanisms, and treatment of AN are discussed. / Canadian Institute of Health Research