Evidence that implementation intentions reduce self‐harm in the community

Abstract

ObjectivesImplementation intentions are ‘IF‐THEN’ plans that encourage goal‐intended behaviour. This study was designed to test whether an intervention encouraging the formation of implementation intentions can reduce self‐harm in the community.DesignA randomized controlled design was used.MethodsAt pre‐intervention, outcome variables (self‐harm in both specified and unspecified critical situations and suicidality) and potential moderators of implementation intentions (goal intention, mental imagery, and exposure to self‐harm) were measured using self‐report questionnaires. The participants (N = 469, aged 18–66 years, 86.4% female, 6.8% male and 6.7% other) were then randomized to either an experimental (implementation intention) or control task. At three‐months post‐intervention, self‐report questionnaires were used again to measure the outcome variables.ResultsThere were no overall differences between the conditions at post‐intervention. However, goal intention and mental imagery, but not exposure to self‐harm, moderated the effects of condition on self‐harm in specified critical situations. At high (mean + 1SD) levels of both goal intention and mental imagery, the experimental condition reported self‐harming less frequently in the situations specified in their implementation intentions.ConclusionsImplementation intentions therefore represent a useful intervention for reducing self‐harm in specified critical situations for people in the community who wish to avoid self‐harm and those who frequently experience self‐harm and suicide related mental imagery.

Using a volitional help sheet to increase university students' attendance at synchronous online lectures: A randomized controlled trial

“…In support of hypothesis 1, university students randomized to a VHS condition attended a significantly greater proportion of synchronous online lectures over the 11-week teaching semester than did students randomly assigned to a control condition (59% vs. 48%). These findings are consistent with previous studies of other behaviours, which have also shown that VHSs constitute a useful intervention for changing behaviour (e.g., Armitage, 2008;Armitage et al, 2016Armitage et al, , 2017Armitage & Arden, 2010Brewster et al, 2015Brewster et al, , 2016Elliott et al, 2021;Paterson et al, 2023). They are also consistent with the findings of Webb et al's (2007) study, which showed that self-generated implementation intentions can increase lecture attendance rates in on-campus lectures.…”

“…VHSs have been found to increase smoking cessation (Armitage, 2008), physical activity (e.g., Armitage & Arden, 2010) and weight loss (e.g., Armitage et al, 2017). They have also been found to reduce alcohol consumption (e.g., , driving speed (e.g., Brewster et al, 2015Brewster et al, , 2016, mobile phone use while driving (e.g., Elliott et al, 2021), and self-harm (e.g., Armitage et al, 2016;Paterson et al, 2023). However, no previous studies have tested whether VHSs can increase university students' lecture attendance.…”