Brief intervention: reducing the repetition of deliberate self-harm

Deliberate self-poisoning is one of the commonest reasons for hospital admission in the UK and people who deliberately self-harm are often difficult to engage. Solution-focused brief therapy could help these people as it has the potential to be effective after one session. The liaison psychiatry team at St Luke's Hospital, Middlesbrough, undertook a research project to evaluate the use of SFBT with patients who presented following an act of deliberate self-harm. Of the 40 patients seen only one repeated self-harm within the week of presentation.