BOOK
Working With Self Harm and Suicidal Behaviour
Louise Doyle | Brian Keogh | Jean Morrissey
(2015)
Additional Information
Book Details
Abstract
Suicide and self-harm are world-wide public health issues that can have devastating effects on families, friends and communities. They are both a priority for anyone working in mental health, social work, emergency departments and related fields, however suicidal and self-harming behaviour can take place anywhere anytime- it may be a pupil in a school, an inmate in a prison or a colleague or family member. For this reason, this book has been written in a clear, accessible and practical style for anyone who wants to learn more about working with and preventing suicidal and self-harming behaviour.
• It identifies common risk and protective factors as well as specific warning signs of imminent suicidal behaviour.
• It provides essential communication skills for undertaking a risk assessment, illustrating how each skill can be used in real-life practice.
• It looks specifically at the issue of self-harm and suicide in prisons, schools and emergency departments.
• It lays out clear strategies for identifying and addressing issues of self-care when working with people who are suicidal or who self-harm.
• It identifies how we can assist those who are bereaved following the death of a loved one by suicide.
Packed with learning outcomes, case scenarios and reflective questions, this book acts as a toolkit for anyone working in this difficult field.
"This book in my opinion is descriptive, informative and therefor useful to all healthcare professionals. The book is as the title says; about working with individuals who self-harm or have experienced/currently experiencing suicidal intent. Be it that they have attempted suicide or feel suicidal, it covers all you need to know, in order to work effectively with this client group. It explores in depth, how people who exhibit these behaviours feel, to what to look out for when workers come across service users, with a history of these behaviours. It explores in detail, the risks around working with or having a relative, friend or colleague who suffers with this unfortunate problem. It gives the reader a good biopsychosocial understanding of self-harm and suicidal behaviour and makes a good attempt at ensuring it is easily readable by all."
Jesse Wallen, community mental health nurse, Merton Drug & Alcohol Team
Louise Doyle is Lecturer in Mental Health Nursing, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.
Brian Keogh is Lecturer in Mental Health Nursing, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.
Jean Morrissey is Lecturer in Mental Health Nursing, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.
Table of Contents
| Section Title | Page | Action | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cover | Cove | ||
| Contents | v | ||
| List of Figures and Tables | ix | ||
| Acknowledgements | x | ||
| Introduction | 1 | ||
| 1 Understanding Suicide and Self-Harm | 5 | ||
| Introduction | 5 | ||
| Defining suicide and self-harm | 6 | ||
| A theoretical understanding of suicide and self-harm | 6 | ||
| Biological perspectives | 7 | ||
| Psychological perspectives | 10 | ||
| Sociological perspectives | 12 | ||
| Stress, suicide and self-harm | 14 | ||
| Conclusion: An integrated approach to understanding suicide and self-harm | 15 | ||
| Reflective questions | 16 | ||
| 2 Self-Harm, Suicide and Stigma | 18 | ||
| Introduction | 18 | ||
| What is stigma and how does it affect people? | 18 | ||
| Stigma and suicide | 20 | ||
| Why are suicide and self-harm stigmatised? | 21 | ||
| Addressing suicide stigma | 22 | ||
| Health professionals and other agencies | 23 | ||
| Suicide survivors and stigma | 25 | ||
| Helping individuals manage stigma | 26 | ||
| The role of the media and suicide and self-harm | 27 | ||
| Conclusion | 27 | ||
| Reflective questions | 27 | ||
| 3 Risk and Protective Factors for Self-Harm and Suicide | 29 | ||
| Introduction | 29 | ||
| Risk factors for self-harm and suicidal behaviour | 30 | ||
| Protective factors for self-harm and suicidal behaviour | 36 | ||
| Warning signs of imminent suicidal behaviour | 38 | ||
| Conclusion | 40 | ||
| Reflective questions | 40 | ||
| 4 Suicide and Self-Harm Across the Lifespan | 43 | ||
| Introduction | 43 | ||
| Self-harm and suicide in children | 43 | ||
| Self-harm and suicide in adolescents | 44 | ||
| Self-harm and suicide in early and middle adulthood | 48 | ||
| Self-harm and suicide in the older person | 49 | ||
| Conclusion | 52 | ||
| Reflective questions | 52 | ||
| 5 Understanding and Responding to Self-Harm | 56 | ||
| Introduction | 56 | ||
| The language of self-harm | 56 | ||
| Self-harm: Epidemiology | 59 | ||
| Functions of self-harm | 60 | ||
| Responses to people who self-harm | 62 | ||
| Self-harm and recovery: Understanding and responding to the person | 64 | ||
| Therapeutic principles | 65 | ||
| Self-harm support groups and resources | 67 | ||
| Conclusion | 68 | ||
| Reflective questions | 68 | ||
| 6 Communicating with People Who Are Suicidal | 70 | ||
| Introduction | 70 | ||
| Connecting with the suicidal person | 70 | ||
| Misconceptions and myths about suicide | 71 | ||
| Helpers’ responses to suicide | 72 | ||
| Establishing a helping relationship | 73 | ||
| Principles and characteristics of a helping relationship | 74 | ||
| Assessing the risk of suicide | 77 | ||
| Exploring the suicide question | 79 | ||
| Training | 82 | ||
| Conclusion | 83 | ||
| Reflective questions | 84 | ||
| 7 Self-Care: Professional and Personal Considerations | 86 | ||
| Indroduction | 86 | ||
| Understanding self-care: What is it? | 86 | ||
| The workplace as a place of stress | 88 | ||
| Emotional labour | 91 | ||
| Compassion fatigue | 92 | ||
| Burnout | 92 | ||
| Impact of stress on the worker and organisation | 93 | ||
| Using self-care strategies in work | 95 | ||
| Beliefs about self-care | 95 | ||
| Self-care strategies and principles | 96 | ||
| Conclusion | 99 | ||
| Reflective questions | 99 | ||
| 8 Suicide and Self-Harm Prevention and Reduction | 101 | ||
| Introduction | 101 | ||
| General population approaches | 102 | ||
| Targeted approaches | 107 | ||
| Reducing repetitive self-harm through harm reduction | 110 | ||
| The growth of online support for self-harm | 111 | ||
| Conclusion | 113 | ||
| Reflective questions | 113 | ||
| 9 Postvention | 117 | ||
| Introduction | 117 | ||
| Who are suicide survivors and what is postvention? | 118 | ||
| Grief and complicated grief | 118 | ||
| The needs of people who have been bereaved by suicide | 120 | ||
| Peer support | 122 | ||
| The role of professional organisations | 122 | ||
| Responding to a suicide within a school or workplace | 124 | ||
| The role of the media | 125 | ||
| Conclusion | 126 | ||
| Reflective questions | 126 | ||
| 10 Self-harm and Suicide in Prisons, Schools and Emergency Departments | 129 | ||
| Introduction | 129 | ||
| Self-harm and suicide in prisons | 130 | ||
| Self-harm and suicide in schools | 133 | ||
| Self-harm and suicide in the Emergency Department | 137 | ||
| Conclusion | 140 | ||
| Index | 143 |