Department of Psychology, University of London, London EC1V 0HB, UK.
School of Health Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Mar 24;18(7):3361. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18073361.
Self-harm is an important public health issue in the UK. Young people who self-harm frequently feel misunderstood, and unable to access help. Improving understanding is key to informing the development and delivery of effective treatments and services. In this qualitative study, we interviewed nine adolescent girls (13-17 years old) with recurrent self-harm, recruited from NHS specialist child and adolescent mental health services. Data were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Findings revealed that self-harm is experienced as powerful mental and physical urges, sated only by self-harming, suggesting that self-harm could be considered a compulsive rather than impulsive disorder, representing a new perspective on the behaviour. Five themes emerged: emotion regulation; an addictive urge; self-harm to survive; interpersonal triggers; interpersonal relationships, not mechanical distractors, reduce self-harm. This study provides further evidence that non-suicidal self-injury may be engaged in to reduce suicidal risk. Seeking the company of helpful friends or family members may reduce the urge to self-harm. Repetitive self-harm may be a compulsive behaviour.
自残在英国是一个重要的公共卫生问题。经常自残的年轻人常常感到被误解，无法获得帮助。提高理解能力是为有效的治疗和服务的制定和提供提供信息的关键。在这项定性研究中，我们采访了 9 名来自 NHS 专科儿童和青少年心理健康服务机构的反复自残的少女（13-17 岁）。使用解释现象学分析（IPA）对数据进行了分析。研究结果表明，自残是一种强烈的身心冲动，只有通过自残才能得到满足，这表明自残可能被认为是一种强迫性而不是冲动性障碍，这代表了对这种行为的新视角。五个主题出现：情绪调节；上瘾的冲动；为了生存而自残；人际触发因素；人际关系，而不是机械的分心因素，减少自残。这项研究进一步证明，非自杀性自我伤害可能是为了降低自杀风险而进行的。寻求有帮助的朋友或家人的陪伴可能会减少自残的冲动。重复的自残可能是一种强迫行为。
