%0 Journal Article
%T Parents' perspectives on adolescent self-harm: qualitative study
%J British journal of psychiatry
%D 2008
%A Oldershaw, Anna
%A Richards, Caroline
%A Simic, Milan
%A Schmidt, U.
%V 193
%N 2
%P 140-144
%X BACKGROUND: Parents' perspectives on self-harm are considered important, but have not been explored. AIMS: To gain perspective of parents of adolescents who self-harm on: (a) history of self-harm and health service provision; (b) their understanding and ability to make sense of self-harm behaviour; (c) emotional and personal impact; and (d) parent skills as carer and hope for the future. METHOD: Interpretative phenomenological analysis was applied to semi-structured interviews with 12 parents of adolescents receiving treatment for self-harm in community child and adolescent mental health services. RESULTS: Parents commonly suspected and spotted self-harm prior to disclosure or service contact; however, communication difficulties and underestimating significance led to delays in addressing the behaviour. Parents struggled to understand and cope with self-harm. CONCLUSIONS: Parents require advice and support from outside services to help them manage self-harming behaviour and its personal impact. This study suggests parents are early to spot signs of self-harm, indicating their key role in reaching young people in the community who remain unknown to health services.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>
%G en
%I Royal College of Psychiatry
%@ 0007-1250
%U http://dx.doi.org/10.1192/bjp.bp.107.045930