title: Residential staff responses to adolescent self-harm: The helpful and unhelpful.
abstract: Adolescent self-harm is prevalent in residential and secure care and is the cause of distress to those harming themselves, to the staff caring for them and for other young people living with them. This article sought service user views on what staff supports were effective and what were counter-productive in order to improve the care offered to young people. Seven young people living in residential or secure care were interviewed. Thematic analysis was used to elicit key themes. Global themes of safety and care were elicited. The young people understood and accepted that the role of staff was to provide these. Within these themes, they noted numerous responses that had both helpful and unhelpful effects, including increased observation, removal of means and extra collaborative support. Service users made numerous recommendations to increase the helpful effects of staff support. Young people provided informed and helpful guidance on how best to care for them. Their views can help mental health professionals and care staff increase their helpful responses making them more effective and less counter-productive. This study is a rare representation of the views of young people in residential and secure care and how to respond to their self-harm behaviour.
authors.affiliation: 1 Psychology Department, Kibble Education and Care Centre, UK.
authors.forename: Dan R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: 2 Psychology Services Scotland, UK.
authors.forename: Kirstin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ferguson
authors.affiliation: 3 Chartered and Registered Forensic Psychologist, UK.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Copley
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012112:Residential Facilities; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Youth; adolescent; residential; secure care; self-harm; service user; staff; support