“It doesn’t stop when you get to 18”: experiences of self-harm in adults

Purpose: Self-harm can affect people of all ages, yet the high prevalence rate in adolescents and the potential risk factor of suicide in adults 60 years and above has meant research has tended to focus within these areas. Therefore, the purpose of this exploratory study is to examine the experiences of self-harm in people from early adulthood to late middle age to gain greater insight and understanding in this underexplored area. Design/methodology/approach: An online open-ended survey was used to collect the data from a UK user-led moderated online forum that supports people who self-harm. Findings: Thematic data analysis indicates that feelings of shame and guilt were intensified, due to the double stigma participants face as adults that self-harm. Although most participants had seen a reduction in the frequency of their self-harm many experienced an increase in the severity of harm. In not fitting the assumed typical profile of someone that self-harm participants often struggled to gain formal support. Research limitations/implications: This was a small-scale online survey; hence, it is not possible to generalise the findings to all adults who self-harm. Practical implications: The findings from this research provide evidence that greater recognition needs to be given to the reality that self-harm can affect people of all ages. As a result, access to support needs to be widened as a means of supporting those who do not fit the typical profile of someone who self-harms. Originality/value: This exploratory online study provides insights around the tensions and challenges facing adults that self-harm, which remains an under-researched and largely ignored area

"It's a safe space": Self-harm self-help groups

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present a qualitative analysis of the role of self-harm self-help groups from the perspective of group members. Design / methodology / approach: A qualitative case study approach guided the research, which involved working with two self-harm self-help groups and all regularly attending members. Findings: A thematic approach to the analysis of the findings indicates that self-harm self-help groups can provide a safe, non-judgemental space where those who self-harm can meet, listen and talk to others who share similar experiences for reciprocal peer support. Offering a different approach to that experienced in statutory services the groups reduced members’ isolation and offered opportunities for learning and findings ways to lessen and better manage their self-harm. Research limitations / implications: This was a small-scale qualitative study, hence it is not possible to generalise the findings to all self-harm self-help groups. Practical implications: The value of peers supporting one another, as a means of aiding recovery and improving well-being, has gained credence in recent years, but remains limited for those who self-harm. The findings from this research highlight the value of self-help groups in providing opportunities for peer support and the facilitative role practitioners can play in the development of self-harm self-help groups. Originality / value: Self-harm self-help groups remain an underexplored area, despite such groups being identified as a valuable source of support by its members. This research provides empirical evidence, at an individual and group level, into the unique role of self-harm self-help groups

Learning from older citizens’ research groups

This article adds to an ongoing conversation in gerontology about the importance of training and involving older people in research. Currently, the literature rarely distinguishes between the one-off involvement of older citizens in research projects and the development of research groups led by older people that sustain over time as well as the nature of educational initiatives that support their development. This article presents a case-study based on evaluative data from the WhyNot! Older Citizens Research Group which has been running independently for nearly eight years. Members’ evaluations of and reflections on the impact of the training programme, explore from their perspective: Why older people want to get involved in research training and research groups, what they value most in the training and the types of impact their involvement has had. Creating an educational environment where participants were able to contribute their knowledge in a new context as well learn new skills through group-work based experiential learning were key. Regular role-modelling provided by inputs from successful established citizen research groups was also important. Of the many benefits members gained from being part of a research group, emphasis was given to the relational aspects of the experience. Likewise the benefits members’ accorded to taking part in training and research transcended individual benefits encompassing benefits to the collective and the wider community. Linking health, social care and educational policies is important in providing coherence and opportunity for older people’s voices to shape research, policy and practice

The value of the arts in clinical and therapeutic interventions: a critical review of the literature

This report presents an updated critical review of the emerging body of literature on the value of the arts in clinical and therapeutic interventions. Based on a systematic search of the literature, there were two distinct strands of work undertaken. The first strand, builds on the seminal review undertaken by Staricoff (2004), which examined and identified a number of benefits to using arts in healthcare settings. The second strand of the review, focuses on caregivers’ perceptions of the value of the arts in therapeutic and clinical interventions

Putting self help into practice: A guide to working with self help groups for practitioners

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Effective support for self-help / mutual aid groups (ESTEEM): Stage 1 Interim Report

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Effective Support for Self Help / Mutual Aid Groups (ESTEEM): Stage 2 Report

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Use of social media by self-help and mutual aid groups

This paper explores the use of social media by self-help/mutual aid groups that meet on a regular face-to-face basis. It draws on data from the ESTEEM project, which ran from 2010 to 2013 with the overall aim of developing a range of resources for health and social care practitioners on how to support self-help/mutual aid groups. A re-examination of the interviews and discussions that were undertaken with 21 groups in two UK sites indicated that groups’ use of social media was becoming an increasingly important resource. The findings highlight a range of benefits and limitations with self-help/mutual aid groups using social media and suggest a blurring of boundaries between online and face-to-face groups. For groupworkers involved with self-help/mutual aid groups opportunities in developing groups’ online presence are raised