Subscribe
The latest psychology and neuroscience discoveries.
My Account
  • Mental Health
  • Social Psychology
  • Cognitive Science
  • Psychopharmacology
No Result
View All Result
PsyPost
PsyPost
No Result
View All Result
Home Exclusive Mental Health

Can psychological therapies help people who self-harm?

by Wiley
May 12, 2016
in Mental Health
Photo credit: Aurélien Glabas

Photo credit: Aurélien Glabas

[Subscribe to PsyPost on YouTube to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in psychology and neuroscience]

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Self-harm is intentional self-poisoning or self-injury. Many people who are admitted to hospital because of this are at an increased risk of self- harming again and of suicide. It is a major problem in many countries, leads to high levels of distress for patients and their families and friends, and places significant demands on health services.

Psychosocial interventions could involve specific psychological therapies as well as maintaining support and contact with patients. Psychological therapies are usually a type of ‘talking treatment’. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), a specific type of psychological therapy, focuses on how a patient’s beliefs and attitudes affect their feelings and behaviour, and aims to help them respond to and deal with their problems.

This updated Cochrane Review, published today in the Cochrane Library, evaluates the evidence about a range of psychosocial interventions for adults who self-harm. The Review includes 55 trials, where a total of 17,699 participants were randomised to receive either a psychosocial intervention or the care they would normally have received.

A range of interventions were used. The most commonly evaluated were CBT-based psychological therapies. In most of the CBT studies, therapy was delivered to patients, one-to-one, in fewer than 10 sessions. Some of the other interventions were aimed at helping people who had a previous history of multiple episodes of self-harm. Other interventions were focused on helping people to maintain their treatment and contact with mental health services.

Of the 55 studies, 18 evaluated CBT. The Cochrane authors analysed data from 17 which reported on the repetition of self-harm. At the end of the follow-up, people who had received CBT-based psychological therapy were less likely to self-harm, although the quality of the evidence was low. Following CBT, 6% fewer people self- harmed when compared with those who did not get CBT. Benefits of CBT-based psychological therapy were also found for depressed mood, hopelessness about the future, and suicidal thoughts. Some other interventions for people with a history of multiple episodes may help them self-harm less often; however, only a small number of trials evaluated these interventions.

Lead author, Keith Hawton, Professor of Psychiatry from the Centre for Suicide Research, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, said, “While most of the studies were small, taken together we found that CBT-based psychological therapy may have led to a small-to-modest reduction in the number of patients repeating self-harm behaviours. We found some variation between the results of the studies. Also, a difficulty with trials in this area is that patients will be aware that they received either the specific psychological therapy or the care they would normally have received, (unlike in placebo-controlled trials of medication). This expectation could have influenced the results. It is important to bear these points in mind when considering the implications of these findings. However there were indications that CBT- based psychological therapy also helped patients’ emotional well-being.”

Keith Hawton added, “The effects of other therapeutic approaches are less clear because they were mostly evaluated in small single trials. Future studies will help us understand which patients are likely to benefit from these types of interventions for self-harm. It’s important that people who self-harm are aware of this, so that they can make more informed choices about their treatment.”

ShareTweetSendScanShareSharePinSend

NEWSLETTER SIGN-UP

STAY CONNECTED

TRENDING

New study shows how mindfulness can benefit our romantic relationships

One in four people may experience estrangement from a sibling in adulthood, study finds

The fascinating neuroscience behind dreaming

Cognitive control serves to override the moral default in both honesty and dishonesty

Women are more attracted to men with tougher facial features when facing uncertainty, study finds

New psychology research reveals men’s motives for sending unsolicited dick pics

RECENT

Study suggests partisan resentment is bad for your health

The fascinating neuroscience behind dreaming

New study shows how mindfulness can benefit our romantic relationships

New study sheds light on how scarcity is experienced across different sociodemographic groups

One in four people may experience estrangement from a sibling in adulthood, study finds

Cognitive control serves to override the moral default in both honesty and dishonesty

The passage of anti-transgender legislation increases internet searches for “suicide” and “depression”

Brain imaging study links socioeconomic disparities in children’s sleep to reduced cortical thickness

Currently Playing

Individuals with dark personality traits are less oriented towards long-term mating strategies

Disclosing victim status reduces online dating matches regardless of race or sex

Individuals with dark personality traits are less oriented towards long-term mating strategies

Dark Triad
Longitudinal study examines the effects of adversity on wise reasoning

New study examines the psychological mechanisms underlying Solomon’s paradox

Social Psychology
Engaging in religious practice, even if you don’t believe, may increase your capacity to delay gratification

Engaging in religious practice, even if you don’t believe, may increase your capacity to delay gratification

Cognitive Science
New study sheds light on how three distinct types of first impressions predict subsequent dating outcomes

New study sheds light on how three distinct types of first impressions predict subsequent dating outcomes

Relationships and Sexual Health
A single, moderate dose of psilocybin reduces depressive symptoms for at least two weeks, controlled study finds

A single, moderate dose of psilocybin reduces depressive symptoms for at least two weeks, controlled study finds

Depression
Study identifies factors that influence the link between men’s body esteem and their ability to enjoy their sexuality

Study identifies factors that influence the link between men’s body esteem and their ability to enjoy their sexuality

Mental Health
  • Cognitive Science
  • COVID-19
  • Mental Health
  • Social Psychology
  • Drug Research
  • Conspiracy Theories
  • Meditation
  • Psychology of Religion
  • Aviation Psychology and Human Factors
  • Relationships and Sexual Health
  • Evolutionary Psychology
  • Neuroimaging
  • Psychedelic Drugs
  • Dark Triad
  • Political Psychology

About

PsyPost is a psychology and neuroscience news website dedicated to reporting the latest research on human behavior, cognition, and society. (READ MORE...)

  • Contact us
  • Privacy policy

Subscribe
  • My Account
  • Cognitive Science Research
  • Mental Health Research
  • Social Psychology Research
  • About PsyPost
    • Contact us
  • Privacy policy

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used.