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Self harm researchers and professionals:
Why do you still write and talk about self harm as being “impulsive” or occurring due to “impulsiveness”?
1. Do you think self harm is always “impulsive”?
2. How do you think the way self harm is recorded and enquired about affects this?
Why do you still write and talk about self harm as being “impulsive” or occurring due to “impulsiveness”?
1. Do you think self harm is always “impulsive”?
2. How do you think the way self harm is recorded and enquired about affects this?
A few thoughts:
There are very significant pressures on patients in clinical environments to report self harm as “impulsive”. (Loss of leave, detention, etc). Context matters!
There is bias in self harm being recorded as impulsive even when the person described something else.
There are very significant pressures on patients in clinical environments to report self harm as “impulsive”. (Loss of leave, detention, etc). Context matters!
There is bias in self harm being recorded as impulsive even when the person described something else.
Self harm research often selects for people who might describe self harm as impulsive. Excluding people who self harm more frequently or for other reasons by not allowing participation if someone has self harmed in the last 3 months for example.
People often give reasons and explanations presented to them as acceptable. Impulsivity can be presented as a reason for self harm that results in fewer sanctions and adverse consequences in a clinical setting. All of this is in a context, and assuming impulsivity misses so much.
Using an example from my own experience:
I had been in intensive care after self harm that was related to severe OCD. The only time I have ever been asked about self harm by a mental health professional at hospital is when being assessed for whether or not I could leave.
I had been in intensive care after self harm that was related to severe OCD. The only time I have ever been asked about self harm by a mental health professional at hospital is when being assessed for whether or not I could leave.
Context is important. Having been in intensive care is often traumatic. Being so unwell with OCD(/other reason) that you end up there is too. Treatment for self harm isn’t always compassionate care and can involve judgement and punishment. Almost anyone would want to leave.
In this context, a mental health nurse then asks you, having already expressed judgement at you having wasted time and resources, and told you exactly how much three days in ICU “costs the taxpayer”:
“So you want to go? So this was just impulsive yeah?”
How do you answer?
“So you want to go? So this was just impulsive yeah?”
How do you answer?
TW (hospital)
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It’s worth bearing in mind that everyone on the ward can hear as there is a just curtain (if that). That you’re not allowed to wear your own clothes for the interview. Haven’t eaten or drunk. And can’t see well as someone took out your contact lenses days ago.
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It’s worth bearing in mind that everyone on the ward can hear as there is a just curtain (if that). That you’re not allowed to wear your own clothes for the interview. Haven’t eaten or drunk. And can’t see well as someone took out your contact lenses days ago.
