Helping Children and Young People who Self-harm: An Introduction to Self-Harming and Suicidal Behaviours for Health Professionals »

Tim McDougall is a Nurse Consultant in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, Chester.

Marie Armstrong is a Nurse Consultant in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, Nottingham.

Gemma Trainor is a Nurse Consultant in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, Manchester.

Every year thousands of children and young people attend emergency departments with problems resulting from self-harm. More still come to the attention of CAMHS teams, school nurses and other community-based services. Helping Children and Young People who Self-Harm provides clear and practical guidance for health professionals and other members of the children’s workforce who are confronted by this complex and difficult area.

Providing accessible evidence-based advice, this textbook looks at:

• what we mean by self-harm and its prevalence


• the legal background


• what works for young people who self-harm


• what children and young people think about self-harm


• assessment and interventions for self-harm


• prevention of self-harm


• service provision and care pathways.

Essential for all those working with children and young people, this textbook contains a glossary of terms, practical strategies and case studies.

Selected contents: Introduction 1. What do we mean by self harm? 2. Why is self harm common among young people? 3. What works for young people who self harm? 4. What do young people tell us about self harm? 5. Making sense of self harm: the process of assessment 6. Assessing and managing the risk of self harm and suicide 7. Treatments for young people who self harm 8. Involving parents and carers 9. Service provision and care pathways 10. Preventing self harm: a public health priority 11. Self harm and the legal framework