Self-harm and the words that bind: a critique of common perspectives

The issue of self-harm is not only a widespread phenomenon but also a challenging one. Nurses in particular are faced with this challenge, as they tend to be the primary professional group when working with people who self-harm within health service provision. The purpose of this paper is to offer a critical appraisal of common perspectives as reported in the existing literature. Having highlighted these areas, the paper will attempt to address the challenges faced by nurses and other healthcare professionals through the proposal of strategies, including the suggestion that self-harm may be considered from a position of social constructionism to achieve a more informed and effective response when working with someone who self-harms.