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Patterns of health care in non-fatal deliberate self-harm

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

Richard J. Turner  and
H. Gethin Morgan
Richard J. Turner*
Affiliation:
Department of Mental Health, University of Bristol
H. Gethin Morgan
Affiliation:
Department of Mental Health, University of Bristol
*
1Address for correspondence: Dr Richard J. Turner, Mapperley Hospital, Porchester Road, Mapperley, Nottingham NG3 6AA.
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Synopsis

A series of 80 patients who had deliberately but not fatally harmed themselves and had been admitted to hospital was examined with special reference to their use of available services during the period of distress prior to the episode. They were followed up for 4 months and the ways in which they subsequently made use of helping agencies were also monitored.

Three broad groups of patient attitudes to help and its utilization are described. ‘General practitioner help-seekers’ (29) defaulted least often and appeared to have more positive attitudes towards seeking help for their problem. The ‘psychiatric help-seekers’ (17) appeared to be a chronically disorganized group who, though previously often in treatment, seemed unable to cooperate: they defaulted frequently and apparently gained little. ‘Non-help-seekers’ (34) had been reluctant to ask for help concerning psychological problems and subsequently defaulted just as frequently as did the ‘psychiatric help seekers’.

The need to take into account variation in patient attitude to help and its utilization in designing services for the primary prevention of non-fatal deliberate self-harm is emphasized.

Type
Research Article
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 9 , Issue 3 , August 1979 , pp. 487 - 492
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1979

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