Taking about self-harm: improving consultations between nurses and young people

A study of young people who self-harm revealed that a practice nurse conversation guide could help in consultations

This participatory action research study explored why young people present with self-harm in primary care and how consultations could be more helpful. Twenty focus groups with young people, GPs and practice nurses were undertaken, plus analysis of 285 young people's medical records with self-harm coding (205 female, 80 male) from three general practices.

Of the 630 episodes of self-harm reported, only 465 recorded the type – 54% were with a sharp object, 25% overdoses, 14% thoughts of self-harm and 3% attempted suicide. Young women were significantly more likely to have recurrent episodes than young men.

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