Self-harm in secure settings: Exploring the lived experiences of people who self-harm in secure hospitals

Globally, an increasing number of people who Self-Harm (SH) are being treated in mental health hospitals. Incidences of SH are common in secure hospitals, with those using the behaviour being highly dependent on staff for care and support but impacting on often limited resources. While literature related to the lived experiences of people who SH exists, this is in its infancy in African countries. The aim of this study was to explore the lived experiences of people who SH in two secure mental health hospitals in Ghana. Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used to explore the experiences of people who SH in two secure mental hospitals in Ghana. A convenience sample of nine participants were recruited and face-to-face in-depth semi structured interviews were used to collect data. With the permission of each participant, all interviews were audio recorded and notes were made by the researcher (first author). Each interview was transcribed and analysed using the IPA seven-step approach, with three superordinate and 11 subordinate themes being identified. The superordinate themes were: Being let down; Living with the negative self; Forces of the supernatural and religion. Findings demonstrate that there is a need to develop a collaborative health care package if appropriate care and support is to be offered to people in secure settings who use high-risk behaviours, such as SH. To ensure care is holistic, culturally, and temporally relevant research is needed, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa.