The Experience of Mental-health Inpatient Service-users Who Are Prevented from Self-harming



Thomas, Jay
(2021) The Experience of Mental-health Inpatient Service-users Who Are Prevented from Self-harming. Doctor of Clinical Psychology thesis, University of Liverpool.

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Abstract

Background - Research and Expert by Experience (EBE) testimony has created a strong foundation for empirical research that understands self-harm as a mediator of psychological distress. However, risk-management is frequently prioritised in the approach of mental-healthcare services toward self-harm (Shaw, 2012; Morrisey, Doyle & Higgins, 2018). The research presented here builds on a small body of existing knowledge investigating the issues around the enforced prevention of self-harm which examines the question: if self-harm mediates psychological distress, then is forcibly preventing self-harm likely to have consequences that must be understood and worked around in the context of inpatient intervention. Aims - The aim of this research is to investigate the lived experience of preventive measures which limit participants’ use of self-harm whilst living in an inpatient environment. Based on the experiences of participants, the study aims to bring attention to and guide inpatient clinical staff on the drives behind an individual’s self-harm as well as the potential consequences of its prevention for service-users and staff. Methods – Seven semi-structured interviews were conducted with individuals with a history of self-harm who had experienced an admission to psychiatric hospital. Reflexive Thematic Analysis was conducted on the data acquired. Findings and discussion – Participants described their understanding of how their past experiences, history of self-harm and emotional and behavioural responses to being unable to self-harm linked together to determine their experience of psychiatric admissions. Implications for practice and theory on self-harm are discussed.

Item Type: Thesis (Doctor of Clinical Psychology)
Divisions: Faculty of Health and Life Sciences
Faculty of Health and Life Sciences > Institute of Population Health
Depositing User: Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited: 09 Feb 2022 15:13
Last Modified: 18 Jan 2023 21:24
DOI: 10.17638/03143604
Supervisors:
URI: https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3143604