Extrait

Background and study aims Self-harm is when a person deliberately hurts or injures their body, often as a way to punish themselves. Self-harm is a serious mental health problem that is usually carried out to help the individual cope with or express extreme emotional distress. It is also the strongest predictor of suicide and is especially common among young people, a group in whom rates of self-harm appear to be rising. There is evidence to suggest that young people who self-harm can find it hard to reach a decision about where and how to get help. While young people may be reluctant to seek help from healthcare professionals when distressed, many turn to the internet as a way of coping with psychological distress. A growing number of studies involving children and adolescents suggest positive effects of treatment programmes that make use of web-based technology. Therefore, a safe and effective, internet-based intervention for young people who self-harm could be of benefit to a large numbers of individuals. The aim of this study is to test the practicality, acceptability and potential effectiveness of a newly developed internet-based decision aid (DA) programme. The DA aims to help young people reach decisions regarding where they can go for help or support for their self-harm issues. Who can participate? Children aged 12-18 attending secondary school in Southwark, London. What does the study involve? Participants are randomly allocated into one of two groups. Those in group 1 (intervention group) are given access to the DA programme. Those in group 2 (control group) are given standard information from their school counsellor. All participants are followed up 4 weeks after the start of the study to answer questions about their experiences during the study period. What are the possible benefits and risks of participating? Not provided at time of registration. Where is the study run from? The Charter School (UK) When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for? April 2015 to April 2016 Who is funding the study? Guy's and St Thomas' Charity (UK) Who is the main contact? Dr S Rowe (public) Dr P Moran (scientific)

Critère d'inclusion

• Self harm

Liens

• isrctn
• ictrp