@article{ref1,
title="Medical students' attitudes toward self-harm, and curricular influences on attitude development",
journal="Academic psychiatry",
year="2021",
author="Joiner, Adam B. and Kaewchaluay, Christina",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
abstract="OBJECTIVES: The authors explore attitudes that first and final year medical students have toward self-harm, and examine how the curriculum may influence the development of these attitudes. <br><br>METHODS: Six focus groups, involving a total of 21 medical students, were used to explore the objectives. Thematic framework analysis was used to analyze the data through iterative development of a coding framework and identification of themes. <br><br>RESULTS: Medical students demonstrated simultaneously positive and negative attitudes. Students reported minimal exposure to self-harm through the formal curriculum and being exposed to negative attitudes exhibited by healthcare professionals through the informal curriculum. Students felt that self-harm was not as important as other subjects competing for their attention in their curriculum. Many students were discouraged by healthcare staff from seeing people who self-harm, in particular on psychiatry placements. The hidden curriculum may be encouraging negative attitudes toward people who self-harm; students learn that self-harm is &quot;not important.&quot; CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this study identify how the curriculum might influence the development of negative attitudes toward self-harm. Students would benefit from being encouraged to interact with people who self-harm and then having the opportunity to discuss the emotions these interactions create.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1042-9670",
doi="10.1007/s40596-021-01436-9",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s40596-021-01436-9"
}