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The 2nd Edition: Self-Harm and Suicide Prevention among Young People in the Context of Global Challenges

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Traumas".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2023) | Viewed by 6989

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Institute for Mental Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
Interests: suicide prevention in primary care settings; understanding self-harm in young people with multiple vulnerabilities; interventions to reduce suicide risk among across different settings; the role of technology in suicide prevention
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Institute of Applied Health Research, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
Interests: social media; self-harm; suicidality; relationships between eating disorders and self-harm; lived experiences and meanings of self-harm and suicidality in social and cultural context; qualitative methodology, especially ethnography; medical humanities

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Guest Editor
School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
Interests: suicide and self-harm prevention particularly in primary care and community settings; health inequalities particularly in Black and Asian Minority Ethnic Groups and coproduction; public and patient involvement and engagement

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

After the success of the first edition of the Special Issue on “Self-Harm and Suicide Prevention among Young People”, we are pleased to invite researchers to contribute to the second Special Issue. Suicide remains a global public health concern and one of the leading causes of death in young people worldwide. Among the strongest predictors of death by suicide are self-harm and previous suicide attempts, both of which are the focus of suicide prevention interventions for young people. Suicidal behaviour and self-harm are complex phenomena that are underpinned by a coming together of biological, experiential, psychological, sociological, cultural and political factors. Global challenges such as climate change, poverty, inequality and precarity, as well as pandemics, offer a contextual backdrop that may be key to understanding the increasing rates of suicide and self-harm among young people.

The second edition of this Special Issue focuses on bringing together research across different disciplines to (i) understand the pathways, processes, experiences and factors that underlie self-harm and suicidal behaviour among young people; and (ii) highlight interventions for self-harm and suicidal behaviour that are targeted, personalised and address the specific needs of young people. We are particularly interested in research which takes into account the context of global challenges in understanding pathways and processes, and when developing, testing and implementing interventions. We invite contributions that utilise methodologies or approaches that are new to, or less recognised in, research into self-harm and suicide. For this Special Issue, empirical papers (quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods) including systematic reviews and meta-analyses are invited from the fields of public health, medicine, psychology, psychiatry, philosophy, anthropology, sociology and the medical humanities.

Dr. Maria Michail
Dr. Anna Lavis
Dr. Pooja Saini
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • young people
  • suicide
  • self-harm
  • suicidal experiences
  • mechanisms
  • pathways
  • socio-cultural contexts
  • interventions
  • prevention
  • global challenges

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

23 pages, 1346 KiB  
Article
Developing a Mobile App for Young Adults with Nonsuicidal Self-Injury: A Prototype Feedback Study
by Kaylee Payne Kruzan, Madhu Reddy, Jason J. Washburn and David C. Mohr
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(23), 16163; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192316163 - 2 Dec 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2315
Abstract
Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) affects approximately 13% of young adults. Though evidence-based treatments for NSSI exist, most young adults do not receive treatment. Digital interventions can provide access to evidence-based treatments for NSSI at scale. Further, preliminary research suggests the acceptability, feasibility, and potential [...] Read more.
Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) affects approximately 13% of young adults. Though evidence-based treatments for NSSI exist, most young adults do not receive treatment. Digital interventions can provide access to evidence-based treatments for NSSI at scale. Further, preliminary research suggests the acceptability, feasibility, and potential efficacy of digital interventions for NSSI. To date, however, there are few publicly available digital interventions developed specifically for young adults who engage in NSSI. The aim of this study was to solicit young adults’ impressions of early app prototypes to identify ways of improving interactive features and content needs. Building on a prior interview study which explored young adults’ self-management of NSSI and their use of technology in self-management, this study involved three waves of iterative app prototype feedback sessions with 10 young adults with past month NSSI. In general, participants responded favorably and provided feedback to augment the app to better meet their needs, including adding new features and functionality as well as increasing opportunities for personalization. We discuss two key design challenges related to the roles of tracking and temporality in digital interventions for NSSI, and then frame design considerations related to these challenges within the lived informatics model. Full article
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12 pages, 314 KiB  
Article
Assessing and Responding to Suicide Risk in Children and Young People: Understanding Views and Experiences of Helpline Staff
by A. Jess Williams, Juliane A. Kloess, Chloe Gill and Maria Michail
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(17), 10887; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191710887 - 1 Sep 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3861
Abstract
Introduction: Suicide is a key issue impacting children and young people. Helplines offer unique benefits, such as anonymity, varied communication avenues and low cost, which help to promote help-seeking behaviour. The aim of this study was to explore the views and experiences of [...] Read more.
Introduction: Suicide is a key issue impacting children and young people. Helplines offer unique benefits, such as anonymity, varied communication avenues and low cost, which help to promote help-seeking behaviour. The aim of this study was to explore the views and experiences of helpline organisations of identifying, assessing, and managing suicide risk among children and young people. Methods: Thirteen professionals from three UK-based helplines and online counselling services took part in semi-structured interviews between November 2020 and January 2021 via Zoom. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using Thematic Analysis. Results: Three superordinate themes were identified: (i) Starting conversations about suicide; (ii) Identifying and responding to “imminent” suicide risk; and (iii) Responses to suicide risk in relation to safeguarding. Limitations: Recruitment was limited by COVID-19 due to the demands needed from helplines at this time. Conclusions: Our findings highlight not only the different types and range of services helpline organisations offer to young people who might be at risk of suicide, but most importantly the distinct role they have in young people’s help-seeking pathway. Full article
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