Self-Harm: Longer-Term Management

Excerpt

This is the first NICE guideline on the longer-term management of both single and recurrent episodes of self-harm.

Self-harm is common, especially in young people. It increases the likelihood that the person will eventually die by suicide by between 50- and 100-fold above the rest of the population in a 12-month period. A wide range of psychiatric conditions are associated with self-harm, such as borderline personality disorder, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and drug misuse and alcohol-use disorders.

The focus of this guideline, which covers people aged 8 years and older, is to improve the longer-term care of people who self-harm after initial treatment of the injury or poisoning. The guideline reviews the evidence for comprehensive assessment, psychosocial and pharmacological interventions for both the self-harm and for any associated psychiatric conditions, staff training, and consent, capacity and confidentiality issues. The guideline also contains a chapter on the experience of care for people who self-harm and their families and carers.