Chandler, A., King, C., Burton, C. orcid.org/0000-0003-0233-2431 et al. (1 more author) (2016) General Practitioners' Accounts of Patients Who Have Self-Harmed. Crisis - The Journal of Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention, 37 (1). pp. 42-50. ISSN 0227-5910
Abstract
Background: The relationship between self-harm and suicide is contested. Self-harm is simultaneously understood to be largely nonsuicidal but to increase risk of future suicide. Little is known about how self-harm is conceptualized by general practitioners (GPs) and particularly how they assess the suicide risk of patients who have self-harmed. Aims: The study aimed to explore how GPs respond to patients who had self-harmed. In this paper we analyze GPs' accounts of the relationship between self-harm, suicide, and suicide risk assessment. Method: Thirty semi-structured interviews were held with GPs working in different areas of Scotland. Verbatim transcripts were analyzed thematically. Results: GPs provided diverse accounts of the relationship between self-harm and suicide. Some maintained that self-harm and suicide were distinct and that risk assessment was a matter of asking the right questions. Others suggested a complex inter-relationship between self-harm and suicide; for these GPs, assessment was seen as more subjective. In part, these differences appeared to reflect the socioeconomic contexts in which the GPs worked. Conclusion: There are different conceptualizations of the relationship between self-harm, suicide, and the assessment of suicide risk among GPs. These need to be taken into account when planning training and service development.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2015 Hogrefe Publishing. Reproduced in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | self-harm; suicide; general practice; risk assessment |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health (Sheffield) > The Medical School (Sheffield) > Academic Unit of Medical Education (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 01 May 2019 14:25 |
Last Modified: | 01 May 2019 21:40 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Hogrefe |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1027/0227-5910/a000325 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:141714 |