A qualitative study into people’s experiences of interventions and support for non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI): Stigma, shame, and society

This qualitative study used semi structured interviews to gain an in-depth knowledge of individual’s experiences of interventions/support on their journey to ceasing non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). Twelve adults from the community participated and their interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. Four main themes were generated from the data. Experiences of professional support, Experiences of informal support, Identity: Impact on sense of self, and Importance of relationships. Participants spoke about the unhelpful, detrimental interactions when attending accident & emergency (A&E) and spells on the mental health wards. They also spoke about their fear of reaching out as they feared the consequences of doing so. On the whole participants found therapy to be beneficial except for those aspects of interventions where support was withdrawn following NSSI. Participants valued informal support such as self- help, family and support from the community. It was evident the detrimental impact on sense of self that unhelpful interventions/support afforded. The opposite effect was evident when positive and helpful interactions had occurred. Participants shared the importance of consistency and connection when forming relationships enabling feelings of safety and trust to ensue. Implications of these findings highlight the need for professionals and the community to reflect on how they respond to people presenting with NSSI and adjust their responses accordingly. It also highlights the need for more education, training and supervision