Studies of therapeutic contact following self-harm have had mixed results. We carried out a pilot randomised controlled trial comparing an intervention (information leaflet listing sources of help, two telephone calls soon after presentation and a series of letters over 12 months) to usual treatment alone in 66 adults presenting with self-harm to two hospitals. We found that our methodology was feasible, recruitment was challenging and repeat self-harm was more common in those who received the intervention (12-month repetition rate 34.4% v. 12.5%).

Using a sample of 15,174 firms from 24 countries included in the 2009 World Bank Enterprise Survey, we investigate the impact of disclosure standards and auditing infrastructure on the bribery of public officials to secure government contracts. We find that firms are less likely to grant gift to secure a government contract in countries having more extensive financial reporting requirements and countries where audit firms face a higher litigation and sanction risk. Findings also show that firms are less likely to bribe bureaucrats in case financial statements are reviewed by an external audit firm. Our results are economically significant and are robust to several sensitivity analyses. These findings support certain policies that are currently being implemented or discussed to mitigate bribery within the public sector across the globe.

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