Exploring general practitioners’ management of self-harm in young people: a qualitative study

Mughal, Faraz; Saunders, Benjamin; Lewis, Martyn; Armitage, Chris; Dikomitis, Lisa; Lancaster, Gillian; Townsend, Ellen; Chew-Graham, Carolyn A

Abstract

Background
General practitioners (GPs) are key to the frontline assessment and treatment of young people after self-harm. Young people value GP-led self-harm care but little is known about how GPs manage young people after self-harm.

Aim
To understand the approaches of GPs to self-harm in young people and explore their perspectives on ways they might help young people avoid repeat self-harm.

Methods
We conducted semi-structured interviews with GPs in the National Health Service in England in 2021. GPs were recruited from four geographically spread clinical research networks and a professional special interest group. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. The study’s patient and public involvement and community of practice groups supported recruitment of participants and data analysis.

Results
Fifteen interviews were undertaken with a mean age of participant being 41 years and a breadth of experience in practice ranging from one to 22 years. Four themes were generated: GPs’ understanding of self-harm; approaches to managing self-harm; impact of COVID-19 on consultations about self-harm; and support for young people to avoid future self-harm.

Conclusion
Negative attitudes towards self-harm within clinical settings is well documented but GPs said they took self-harm seriously, listened to young people, sought specialist support when concerned, and described appropriate ways to help young people avoid self-harm. GPs felt relationship-based care is an important element of self-harm care but feared remote consultations for self-harm may impede on this. There is a need for brief GP-led interventions to reduce repeat self-harm in young people.

Citation

Mughal, F., Saunders, B., Lewis, M., Armitage, C., Dikomitis, L., Lancaster, G., Townsend, E., & Chew-Graham, C. A. (2024). Exploring general practitioners’ management of self-harm in young people: a qualitative study. Health Expectations, 27(5), Article e70026. https://doi.org/10.1111/hex.70026

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Aug 28, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Sep 9, 2024
• Publication Date: 2024-10
• Deposit Date: Sep 10, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 10, 2024
• Journal: Health Expectations
• Print ISSN: 1369-6513
• Electronic ISSN: 1369-7625
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 27
• Issue: 5
• Article Number: e70026
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/hex.70026
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/39453858
• Publisher URL: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/hex.70026