@article{ref1,
title="Adolescents at risk of self-harm in Ghana: a qualitative interview study exploring the views and experiences of key adult informants",
journal="BMC psychiatry",
year="2020",
author="Quarshie, Emmanuel N.-B. and Waterman, Mitch G. and House, Allan O.",
volume="20",
number="1",
pages="e310-e310",
abstract="BACKGROUND: In Ghana, rates of self-harm in young people are as high as they are in high income countries. Self-reported interpersonal, familial and societal stressors form the most important background, and self-harm is seen by young people as a way of responding to that stress. In the present study, we obtained the views of key adult informants about self-harm among adolescents in Ghana - what they thought as possible reasons for self-harm in young people and what actions might be needed at an individual or population level to respond to the problem.   METHODS: We interviewed face-to-face 11 adults, using a semi-structured interview guide. We used an experiential thematic analysis technique to analyse the transcribed interviews.   RESULTS: The analysis identified five themes: &quot;underestimating the prevalence of self-harm in adolescents&quot;, &quot;life on the streets makes self-harm less likely&quot;, &quot;self-harm in adolescents is socially and psychologically understandable&quot;, &quot;ambivalence about responding to adolescent self-harm&quot;, and &quot;few immediate opportunities for self-harm prevention in Ghana&quot;. Adolescent self-harm was acknowledged but its scale was underestimated. The participants offered explanations for adolescent self-harm in social and psychological terms that are recognisable from accounts in high income countries. Low rates among street-connected young people were explained by their overarching orientation for survival. Participants agreed that identification was important, but they expressed a sense of inadequacy in identifying and supporting adolescents at risk of self-harm. Again, the participants agreed that self-harm in adolescents should be prevented, but they recognised that relevant policies were not in place or if there were policies they were not implemented - mental health and self-harm were not high on public or political priorities.   CONCLUSIONS: The adults we interviewed about young people who self-harm see themselves as having a role in identifying adolescents at risk of self-harm and see the organisations in which they work as having a role in responding to individual young people in need. These are encouraging findings that point to at least one strand of a policy in Ghana for addressing the problem of self-harm in young people.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1471-244X",
doi="10.1186/s12888-020-02718-6",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12888-020-02718-6"
}