title: A rationale for service responses to self-injury.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In this paper, reasons reported by people who self-injure to explain this behaviour are presented.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Traditional service responses are examined and it is suggested that these may exacerbate the reasons why people self-injure and are likely to create vulnerability to further harm.
  
  
  METHODS
  A rationale is presented which suggests that service-providers should aim to respond to the specific feelings underlying self-injury (SI) in a therapeutic way.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Guidance is provided for implementing constructive responses to SI within clinical practice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  If service-providers are trained to understand and accept SI as a comprehensible act of coping, then attitudes of respect and empathy are more likely to be exhibited. In turn, these approaches are therapeutic to service-users, potentially mitigating the feelings that initially prompt SI.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK. psc3ejl@leeds.ac.uk
authors.forename: Eleanor
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Longden
authors.forename: Gillian
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Proctor
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000379:methods; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D004644:Emotions; D004645:Empathy; D006801:Humans; D008605:Mental Health Services; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D006113:United Kingdom