A sequence analysis of patterns in self-harm in young people with and without experience of being looked after in care
dc.contributor.author | Armstrong, Marie | |
dc.contributor.author | Majumder, Pallab | |
dc.date.accessioned | 2017-10-16T09:04:23Z | |
dc.date.available | 2017-10-16T09:04:23Z | |
dc.date.issued | 2017 | |
dc.identifier.citation | Wadman, R., Clarke, D., Sayal, K., Armstrong, M., Harroe, C., Majumder, P., Vostanis, P. & Townsend, E. (2017). A sequence analysis of patterns in self-harm in young people with and without experience of being looked after in care. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 56 (4), pp.388-407. | en |
dc.identifier.other | 10.1111/bjc.12145 | |
dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12904/10098 | |
dc.description | This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Wadman, R., Clarke, D., Sayal, K., Armstrong, M., Harroe, C., Majumder, P., Vostanis, P. & Townsend, E. (2017). A sequence analysis of patterns in self-harm in young people with and without experience of being looked after in care. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 56 (4), pp.388-407, which has been published in final form at http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bjc.12145. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving | |
dc.description.abstract | Objectives:Young people in the public care system (‘looked-after’ young people) have high levels of self-harm. Design:This paper reports the first detailed study of factors leading to self-harm over time in looked-after young people in England, using sequence analyses of the Card Sort Task for Self-harm (CaTS). Methods:Young people in care (looked-after group: n = 24; 14–21 years) and young people who had never been in care (contrast group: n = 21; 13–21 years) completed the CaTS, describing sequences of factors leading to their first and most recent episodes of self-harm. Lag sequential analysis determined patterns of significant transitions between factors (thoughts, feelings, behaviours, events) leading to self-harm across 6 months. Results:Young people in care reported feeling better immediately following their first episode of self-harm. However, fearlessness of death, impulsivity, and access to means were reported most proximal to recent self-harm. Although difficult negative emotions were salient to self-harm sequences in both groups, young people with no experience of being in care reported a greater range of negative emotions and transitions between them. For the contrast group, feelings of depression and sadness were a significant starting point of the self-harm sequence 6 months prior to most recent self-harm. Conclusions:Sequences of factors leading to self-harm can change and evolve over time, so regular monitoring and assessment of each self-harm episode are needed. Support around easing and dealing with emotional distress is required. Restricting access to means to carry out potentially fatal self-harm attempts, particularly for the young persons with experience of being in care, is recommended. | |
dc.description.uri | http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bjc.12145/full | |
dc.format | Full text uploaded | |
dc.subject | Self-injurious behaviour | en |
dc.subject | Emotions | en |
dc.subject | Depression | en |
dc.title | A sequence analysis of patterns in self-harm in young people with and without experience of being looked after in care | en |
dc.type | Article | |
refterms.dateFOA | 2021-06-14T11:12:53Z | |
html.description.abstract | Objectives:Young people in the public care system (‘looked-after’ young people) have high levels of self-harm. Design:This paper reports the first detailed study of factors leading to self-harm over time in looked-after young people in England, using sequence analyses of the Card Sort Task for Self-harm (CaTS). Methods:Young people in care (looked-after group: n = 24; 14–21 years) and young people who had never been in care (contrast group: n = 21; 13–21 years) completed the CaTS, describing sequences of factors leading to their first and most recent episodes of self-harm. Lag sequential analysis determined patterns of significant transitions between factors (thoughts, feelings, behaviours, events) leading to self-harm across 6 months. Results:Young people in care reported feeling better immediately following their first episode of self-harm. However, fearlessness of death, impulsivity, and access to means were reported most proximal to recent self-harm. Although difficult negative emotions were salient to self-harm sequences in both groups, young people with no experience of being in care reported a greater range of negative emotions and transitions between them. For the contrast group, feelings of depression and sadness were a significant starting point of the self-harm sequence 6 months prior to most recent self-harm. Conclusions:Sequences of factors leading to self-harm can change and evolve over time, so regular monitoring and assessment of each self-harm episode are needed. Support around easing and dealing with emotional distress is required. Restricting access to means to carry out potentially fatal self-harm attempts, particularly for the young persons with experience of being in care, is recommended. |