Citation

Corcoran J, Mewse A, Babiker G. J. Community Appl. Soc. Psychol. 2007; 17(1): 35-52.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1002/casp.868

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Research evidence suggests that services are struggling to adequately address the increasing incidence of self-injury and the needs of women who self-injure, while national self-injury support-groups across the UK appear to be growing in number. Despite their reported value, evidence regarding the role of self-injury support-groups in women's management of their self-injury is lacking although government policy and official guidelines are advocating the incorporation of support-groups into self-injury services. Seven semi-structured interviews were conducted and analysed using Grounded Theory to investigate the role of three UK self-injury support-groups in women's management of self-injury and associated difficulties. Empowerment-as-process emerged as the core theme of self-injury support-groups, mediated through experiences of belonging, sharing, autonomy, positive feeling and change. Findings are discussed in relation to relevant theory and research, followed by critical evaluation and implications of the study. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.