Understanding and supporting self-harm recovery through qualitative survivor research: development and refinement of the Self-Harm Recovery Model

People with self-harm often feel that clinicians
misunderstand their experiences, focusing on stopping
behaviours to achieve clinical recovery. The Self-Harm
Recovery Model (SHRM), developed from a review of
current evidence, examines self-harm recovery according
to people with lived experience. Differently to clinical
recovery, it shows the process as a "push and pull"
between carrying out and reducing/stopping self-harm acts
and influenced by factors like coping methods to replace
self-harm and whether people receive sympathetic support
from others. However, the evidence does not examine
thoughts to self-harm, its links with people's identity and
its meaning. Therefore, further research is needed to fully
understand self-harm recovery and refine the SHRM. I will
conduct interviews with 1) people aged 18-35 with self harm experiences and 2) clinicians who care for people
with self-harm. The interviews with people will help us
understand how self-harm recovery is experienced and will
develop the SHRM. The interviews with clinicians will help
us understand if the SHRM is appropriate for clinical
practice. This study is led by a nurse with experience of
working with self-harm and personal history of self-harm.
People with a history of self-harm will form a Lived
Experience Advisory Panel (LEAP) to contribute to the
project. I will ensure safety throughout by considering the
wellbeing of people taking part in interviews and LEAP
members are supported.