Role of primary care in supporting older adults who self-harm: a qualitative study in England

Self-harm and suicide are major public health concerns. Self-harm is the strongest risk factor for suicide, with the highest suicide rates reported in older populations. Little is known about how older adults access care following self-harm, but they are in frequent contact with primary care.

To identify and explore barriers and facilitators to accessing care within primary care for older adults who self-harm.

An exploratory qualitative methods study using semi-structured interviews with older adults and third-sector workers in England. Older adults were invited to participate in one follow-up interview.

Interviews occurred between September 2017 and September 2018. These were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and data analysed thematically. A patient and public involvement and engagement group contributed to the study design, data analysis, and interpretation.

A total of 24 interviews with nine older adults and seven support workers, including eight follow-up interviews with older adults, were conducted. Three themes emerged: help-seeking decision factors; sources of support; and barriers and facilitators to accessing primary care.

Despite older adults' frequent contact with GPs, barriers to primary care existed, which included stigma, previous negative experiences, and practical barriers such as mobility restrictions. Older adults' help-seeking behaviour was facilitated by previous positive experiences. Primary care is a potential avenue for delivering effective self-harm support, management, and suicide prevention in older adults. Given the complex nature of self-harm, there is a need for primary care to work with other sectors to provide comprehensive support to older adults who self-harm.