Staff knowledge and attitudes towards deliberate self-harm in adolescents

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Adolescent Health
• Mental Health Services

Background:

• Deliberate self-harm (DSH) in adolescents is a significant public health concern.
• Understanding professional knowledge and attitudes is crucial for effective intervention.
• Existing training may not adequately address the complexities of adolescent DSH.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the knowledge and attitudes of healthcare professionals regarding adolescent DSH.
• To identify specific training needs among professionals working with self-harming adolescents.
• To explore the relationship between professional effectiveness and attitudes towards adolescent DSH.

Main Methods:

• A questionnaire survey was administered to 126 health professionals.
• Knowledge was assessed using a measure of correctly answered questions.
• Attitudes were measured using three factors derived from factor analysis.

Main Results:

• Professionals achieved an average of 60% correct answers on the knowledge measure.
• Over 75% were unaware of increased DSH risk in homosexual youth and sexually abused adolescents.
• One-third were unaware of the elevated suicide risk in adolescents who self-harm.
• Greater perceived effectiveness correlated with less negative attitudes (B=-0.21, p=0.03).
• 42% of participants expressed a desire for further DSH training.

Conclusions:

• Significant knowledge deficits exist among professionals concerning adolescent DSH risk factors.
• Attitudes towards self-harming adolescents are influenced by perceived professional effectiveness.
• There is a clear demand for enhanced training programs focused on adolescent deliberate self-harm.