Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death for young people worldwide. A significant predictor of competed suicide is self-harm which is particularly common among young people. Despite substantial efforts in suicide prevention, suicide rates are on the rise while the number of young people self-harming has also risen dramatically in the last decade.
International strategies for suicide prevention have highlighted the importance of the early identification and assessment of at-risk young people using a holistic, biopsychosocial approach. However, the assessment and management of suicide risk, including self-harm, is an area most professionals including general practitioners find particularly challenging. Communication difficulties resulting from lack of understanding of the biopsychosocial mechanisms such as distress, impulsivity and emotional pain underlying suicide and self-harm often leads to these being misinterpreted as attention-seeking behaviours and treated with negativity and lack of compassion. Improving the clinical skills and attitudes of medical professionals as well as their understanding of the psychological processes underlying suicide and self-harm through specialist training and education is an important suicide prevention strategy.
This symposium brings together findings from five studies that have used diverse methods and participants to explore the challenges associated with understanding and treating self-harm and suicide in young people. The first paper examines the association between impulsivity and self-harm in young people; the second paper explores the experiences of young men who have attempted suicide; the third and fourth study explore general practitioners’ experiences and attitudes in relation to youth suicide prevention and self-harm; and the fifth paper gathered qualitative data from young people, general practitioners and practice nurses to explore the factors that help and hinder important conversations about self-harm. Together these papers contribute to our understanding of suicide and self-harm by:
1. Highlighting the psychological mechanisms underpinning suicide and self-harm in vulnerable young people
2. Identifying the need for specialist training in the assessment and management of at-risk young people by frontline staff
3. Highlighting implications for such training to enhance professional knowledge and skills in the assessment and management of youth suicide risk, improving health outcomes for young people.