How can professionals help people who self harm?

The first contact with the health services is vital as if it goes badly this could prevent the service user from approaching again. Physical injuries should always be treated fairly and if an underlying mental health problem is suspected, appropriate help should be sought.

A mental health specialist can help by providing:

• Support
• Practical help to deal with the situations that led or could lead to self-harm.
• Help understanding the thing that lead to harm and the motivation for self-harm.
• An evaluation of the short term risk of suicide.
• Psychiatric assessment to identify mental health difficulties.
• Treatment of mental health difficulties.
• Access to talking therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy and psychotherapy.
• Access to problem solving therapy/ training.

There are a number of therapies offered both by the NHS and privately that have proved successful in treating people who self harm.

These include:

• Cognitive behavioural therapy
• Cognitive analytic therapy
• Psychotherapy
• Medication
• Dialectical behavioural therapy*
• Interpersonal group therapy *
  (* for people with a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder).

Talking treatments

It is likely that talking treatments and psycholgical therapy are the most beneficial (especially in the long run), but each individual will require treatment adapted to their own needs. 

Medication

Research into the effects of medication on self harm is patchy, there have been many clinical trials but few have had convincing results. Flupenthixol seems to prevent repeated self harm, but its severe side affects often outweigh its benefits.  There is also some evidence that a class of antidepressants known as SSRIs in high doses can be effective.