"They have more than enough to do than patch up people like me." Experiences of seeking support for self-harm in lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cara Sass, Kate Farley, Cathy Brennan
PMID 35403770WHAT IT FOUND
People who self-harm described avoiding or delaying help because they feared burdening services, expected stigma, and worried about catching or spreading the virus.
Remote support could feel confusing and inadequate, and some were left to struggle alone.
Key findings
01Participants felt less able to seek support because they did not want to burden services, expected stigma, or worried about catching and spreading the virus.
02Remote contact changed the nature and depth of support, and third-sector listening services were not seen as adequate replacements for formal NHS support.
03Lockdown home circumstances had mixed effects: some saw fewer opportunities to self-harm because of household contact, while others experienced isolation and worsening mental health.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Recruitment was online during lockdown, so people without internet access or social media accounts were unlikely to take part. Few participants came from minority ethnic backgrounds, so the findings may not reflect their experiences. Email interviews could have led to more drop-out than telephone interviews, so some experiences may be missing. The study was qualitative and involved a small number of participants, so it cannot show how common these experiences were or whether any service change works.
Declared interests
The supplied text says the study was part of an existing programme of research cited as NIHR, but it does not provide an author conflict-of-interest declaration.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that self-harm increased or that remote support is ineffective for everyone. It describes what a small group of people said about help-seeking during one lockdown period.