Deliberate Self-harm in Adolescence (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Series)

Self-harm in adolescence and late teens is known to be increasing, though it is difficult to detect and inconsistently recorded. This thorough, practical and evidence-based book provides guidance for professionals and parents caring for children and young people at risk of self-harm and suicide. Claudine Fox and Keith Hawton discuss risk factors for self-harm, including depression, substance abuse and antisocial behaviour, and critically examine key screening instruments that can be used to assess risk. They describe how suicidal behaviour can be managed and prevented, and look at the effectiveness of aftercare treatment for those who self-harm, including school-based suicide-prevention programs and family therapy. Also addressed are common myths about self-harm and the problem of varying definitions in this field. Deliberate Self-Harm in Adolescence clearly summarizes and evaluates current research into suicidal behaviour - it is essential reading for social workers, mental health professionals, GPs, teachers and parents. Cover......Page 1 Deliberate Self-Harm in Adolescence......Page 5 Contents......Page 7 Acknowledgements......Page 10 Preface......Page 11 1 Introduction......Page 13 2 The Prevalence of Suicidal Behaviour in Adolescence......Page 19 Deliberate self-harm in adolescents: Oxford patient data......Page 21 Deliberate self-harm in adolescents: national survey data......Page 23 Summary points......Page 26 3 Risk Factors for Adolescent Suicidal Behaviour......Page 27 Models of suicidal behaviour......Page 29 Personal characteristics as risk factors......Page 31 Psychiatric disorders as risk factors......Page 33 Family risk factors......Page 41 The media......Page 42 Summary points......Page 44 4 Identifying At-Risk Adolescents......Page 46 Screening instruments for the identification of at-risk individuals......Page 47 Summary points......Page 59 Commissioning services......Page 61 Delivering services......Page 62 Summary points......Page 64 Child to adult follow-up......Page 65 Summary points......Page 68 Immediate and general hospital management......Page 69 Aftercare......Page 72 The efficacy of aftercare and its outcome......Page 78 Summary points......Page 82 School-based educational suicide prevention programmes......Page 84 Weapon control......Page 88 Reduction of substance abuse......Page 89 Prevention of repetition of self-harm......Page 90 Summary points......Page 91 Conclusions......Page 92 Messages to take away......Page 96 Future research......Page 97 Resources......Page 99 Searching the literature......Page 100 Quality of research......Page 111 Criteria for considering papers for critical appraisal......Page 112 References......Page 125 Subject Index......Page 139 Author Index......Page 144 About FOCUS......Page 146 "This book provides guidance for professionals and parents caring for children and young people at risk of self-harm and suicide." "Claudine Fox and Keith Hawton discuss risk factors for self-harm, including depression, substance abuse and antisocial behaviour, and critically examine key screening instruments that can be used to assess risk. They describe how suicidal behaviour can be managed and prevented, and look at the effectiveness of aftercare treatment for those who self-harm, including school-based suicide-prevention programs and family therapy. Also addressed are common myths about self-harm and the problem of varying definitions in this field." "Deliberate Self-Harm in Adolescence clearly summarizes and evaluates current research into suicidal behaviour - it is essential reading for social workers, mental health professionals, GPs, teachers and parents."--Jacket Fox (primary health care studies, University of Warwick, UK) and Hawton (psychiatry, suicide research, Oxford University, UK) provide guidance for professionals and parents caring for young people at risk of self-harm and suicide. They discuss risk factors for self-harm, including depression, substance abuse, and antisocial behavior, and examine key screening instruments that can be used to assess risk. They give advice on how suicidal behavior can be managed and prevented, and look at the effectiveness of aftercare treatment, including school-based suicide-prevention programs and family therapy This informative resource provides guidance for professionals and parents caring for young people at risk of self-harm and suicide. The authors, who are well-known in the field, consider what research tells us about the increased prevalence of suicide and self-harm among adolescents, including what the possible risk factors may be. They evaluate research into screening for individuals who may be at-risk, and the effectiveness of aftercare treatment for those who self-harm. They describe how suicidal behaviour can be managed, and suicide prevented. They also draw useful connections between rese First published in 2004. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.