How primary care nurses can identify and manage self-harm

Primary care nurses need to be able to identify and manage self-harm. This research focus explores high risk groups and management strategies

Picture: iStock Mortality in children and adolescents following presentation to hospital after non-fatal self-harm in the Multicentre Study of Self-harm: a prospective observational cohort study

Young people who had tried different self-injury methods, especially self-poisoning, were 30 times more likely to die by suicide than peers who had not self-harmed, research into those at greatest risk of death following self-harm found.

Data from the Multicentre Study of Self-harm and NHS Digital in England provided a sample of 9,173 people aged 10-18 years who had presented to five hospitals with self-harm between 2000 and 2013.

Follow-up took place until the end of 2015, by which time 1% of the cohort had died: 44%