Scoping review: Alternatives to self‐harm recommended on mental health self‐help websites

Abstract

Less than half of all young people with mental health difficulties will seek professional treatment. Due to the private nature of self-harm it is estimated that only 1:28 young males and 1:18 young females who self-harm ever present to hospital. Self-help supports improved coping strategies and life changes without reliance on a clinical intervention which could be used to reduce self-harming behaviours. The study objective is to review self-help alternatives to self-harm on mental health websites that can be accessed by young people. Google, Bing, and Yahoo search engines were used to search for appropriate websites. Eighty-two unique websites on mental health were identified, of which 55 met the inclusion criteria. A total of 1177 self-help suggestions were found for those struggling with self-harm urges. The average number of suggestions per site was 42 (Range 3-252). The main techniques suggested were: seeking social contact/help, physical activity, displacement/mimicking techniques, relaxing/comforting techniques, sensory techniques, fun/diverting techniques, aggressive techniques, creative/reflective techniques. This review found not all strategies were suitable for young people and that the large number of possible strategies could be challenging for a young person to navigate. However, mental health self-help websites were generally of high quality and gave a range of potentially helpful strategies. The categories created from this review could be used as a guide to consider with the young person when making an individualized self-help plan to manage self-harm urges. Further research is required to assess if and how these techniques could be used individually or in combination to reduce self-harm.

Exploring the content of self‐help toolkits as an intervention for non‐suicidal self‐injury in young people in England

“…The questionnaire aimed to gather information on which techniques and strategies are used or suggested as self-help for young people who self-harm. It was developed from a scoping review of self-help websites (Fenton & Kingsley, 2022) with peer review from CAMHS clinicians, including those working in crisis and inpatient settings. The present study examined a subset of these responses, asking 'how effective have you found advising the following for reducing self-harm episodes in young people?…”

“…Self‐help strategies, including self‐help toolkits, can be used alongside these therapies to improve overall efficacy, and are advised by the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) and the Royal College of Psychiatrists as well as several mental health charities (e.g. Fenton & Kingsley, 2022; NICE, 2022). This research aimed to assess the use of self‐help toolkits in current practice in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), and the recommended content of such toolkits.…”