Interdisciplinary Self-Harm Research Group

Background

Self-injury, the deliberate destruction or alteration of ones’ own body tissue without suicidal intent, is a risk factor for further episodes of self-harm and completed suicide. Of particular concern, early research in the field indicated that a person who has self harmed is up to 100 times more likely to commit suicide than one who has not self-harmed. Although some reports suggest the suicide rate in Australia is decreasing, suicide is still a major cause for concern, with 2,101 people dying by suicide in 2005. Additionally, the last decade has seen a significant increase in the number of young people reporting self-harm behaviour.

Vision and Purpose

The Interdisciplinary Self-Harm Research Group has a vision to become an acknowledged leader in self-harm and suicide research, by fostering a multidisciplinary approach to research and capitalising on the combined expertise of the group members.

The team consists of researchers, clinicians and students from a number of Australian universities and mental health organisations. Members come from a variety of backgrounds including nursing, psychology, medicine, psychiatry, social work and education. The group will support and enhance suicide-related research activities without disenfranchising existing programs or diminishing the autonomy of researchers.

Terms of Reference

The Interdisciplinary Self-Harm Research Group aim to be a multidisciplinary and collaborative network which will:

1. Create a supportive research environment and foster capacity building, through the provision of peer-mentoring and a collegial approach to all aspects of research (including seeking funding, preparing manuscripts for publication, and the provision of methodological and statistical advice)
2. Further the understanding and management of self-harm and suicidal behaviour through basic, applied and clinical research
3. Advance the education and training, in suicide and self-harm, of professionals and the general community
4. Foster partnership between researchers and service providers through clinical research and evaluation of new and existing services
5. Ensure an interdisciplinary approach to research by developing and conducting research projects that span at least two disciplines
6. Encourage wide dissemination of research outcomes to researchers, professionals and the community

Personnel

The team consists of researchers, clinicians and students from a number of Australian universities and mental health organisations. Members come from a variety of backgrounds including nursing, psychology, medicine, psychiatry, social work and education.

Group Member Profiles

• Dr. Penelope Hasking
• Prof. Graham Martin
• A/Prof. Margaret McAllister
• Dr. Gavin Sullivan
• Dr Michael Gordon
• Ms Kristen Stanner
• Ms Christine Miller
• Ms Sarah Swannell
• Ms Tracey Kay
• Ms Janet Patterson

Research Students

• Holly Anderson
• Sarit Gideoni-Cohen
• Alison Telford
• Fiona Williams
• Jodie Thomas
• Elizabeth Scott
• Vanessa Sleeth
• Eva Chan
• Jennifer Gagnon

Current Research Projects

Members of the Interdisciplinary Self-Harm Research Group are working on a number of projects related to self-harm and suicide prevention. Some of these projects include:

• Self-injurious behaviour in adolescents - Self-injury places a significant burden on the health care system and is a serious risk factor for completed suicide. However the frequency and form of self-injury, predictive characteristics and attitudes held about self-injury in Australian adolescents remain poorly understood. This project, a collaboration between Monash University and the University of Queensland, aims to obtain data on these aspects of self-injurious behaviour in Australian adolescents (general sample and psychiatric in-patients) in an effort to better understand and ultimately prevent it. Funded by Monash University Strategic Grant Scheme.

• Self-injury among university students - Previous research indicates that self-injury is particularly prevalent among university students. This on-line study aims to recruit university students across Australia in order to examine the nature and extent of self-injury exhibited by this population. In addition, we aim to examine factors which differentiate those who self-injure from those who do not and examine attitudes university students hold towards people who self-injure. The project is being conducted by Dr Hasking, Prof Martin, Ms Swannell, and a number of research students.

• The roles of anxiety and depression in self-injurious behaviour - The available literature suggests that depression and hopelessness are key factors related to suicidal self-injurious behaviour and that arousal related experiences are key factors related to non-suicidal self-injurious behaviour. This research project will examine the anxiety, depression and stress symptomology of people who engage in self-injurious behaviour. The results will provide evidence for or against the existence of a continuum of self-injury - some of which may be characterised by suicidal ideation and depression and some of which may be characterised by anxiety and tension reduction. The results will therefore contribute to profile information of people who engage in self-injurious behaviour with implications for treatment of people who engage in this behaviour.

• Deliberate self-harm: Development of a best practice CD-ROM - This project, conducted by Prof Martin, A/Prof McAllister, Ms Swannell and Dr Hasking, aims to produce, disseminate and evaluate a training tool for a wide variety of Australian professionals who encounter people who self-harm. The training tool will be a CD-ROM, accompanied by a handbook, and will be designed to change attitudes, provide information, increase understanding, enhance optimism about recovery, develop confidence in the capacity to care, and teach clinical skills to a wide range of professionals who are likely to encounter people who self-harm. The ultimate aim of the project is to teach people how to respond to adolescents who self-harm in a way that will not only reduce the chance that the young person will repeat the self-harm or suicide, but also assist in addressing the underlying issues causing the young person to self-harm. Funded by Queensland Department of Communities.

• Implementing a solution-focused model of care to improve nursing management of young people who self-injure - This project, under the leadership of A/Prof McAllister, will implement an educational intervention using Solution Focused Nursing (SFN), which assists nurses to respond proactively and effectively with clients. We expect this intervention will significantly improve nurses’ knowledge, perceptions of competence, planning and practice behaviour. SFN is based on the principles of positive psychology, which assumes that considering a client's strengths are as important as vulnerabilities and that person-centredness and the human relationship is important for change to occur. In this approach nursing work involves 3 phases: joining, building and extending.

Potential Research Projects

Numerous opportunities exist for research students to join our group. Some of the projects we hope to conduct in the future, which may be suitable for Masters or PhD students, are listed below. If you would like more information on these projects, or would like to discuss conducting a related project towards a research degree please feel free to contact us.

• Evaluation of on-line discussion forums for self-injury - This 3-phase project will use qualitative and quantitative techniques to determine the number and content of such forums on Australian websites, the characteristics of those who use them and evaluate their perceived utility, with a view to improving the care provided to young people who self-injure. Phase 1 will examine the frequency and nature of on-line support provided to young people who self-injure. Phase 2 will determine the common topics raised for discussion and examine the characteristics of young people who use them by systematically reviewing key themes posted on the forums identified in Phase 1. In the final phase of this project we will evaluate the perceived utility of the discussion forums by inviting young people to complete an on-line questionnaire.

• A longitudinal investigation of self-injury, suicidal ideation and psychological distress in Australian secondary school students - This study aims to examine, utilising both cross-sectional and longitudinal designs, the nature and extent of self-injury exhibited by Australian secondary school students and the causal relationship between self-injury, suicidal ideation and psychological distress by examining these relationships over a three-year period. This would be the first study world-wide to utilise a longitudinal design with a community sample of adolescents, to investigate the negative psychological trajectory self-injury is thought to represent. Consequently this project will lead to the identification of risk and protective factors which may be utilised in prevention and early intervention programs which aim to improve the quality of life of Australian adolescents and prevent suicide.

• An examination of secondary school educators’ knowledge and attitudes regarding self-injury - This pilot project is designed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, perceived effectiveness of responses and perceived effectiveness of school policy regarding self-injury and suicidal behaviour more generally. Upon completion of this pilot project we aim to expand the study to an examination of these factors in educators across Australia, and to examine the most effective method of responding to self-injury and suicidal behaviour in the Australiansecondary school system. As such this pilot project has two overarching aims: 1) To develop and validate measures for the assessment of knowledge, attitudes and responses to self-injury and suicidal behaviour as viewed by educators and 2) Provide pilot data on the knowledge, attitudes, perceived effectiveness of responses to suicidal behaviour, and perceived effectiveness of school policies relating to suicidal behaviour.

• The role of media in self-harm – We are interested in examining how self-harm and suicidal behaviour are represented in popular media. This may involve examining movies, music lyrics and books in which a character self-harms with a view to determining the contextual factors surrounding the characters’ behaviour.

Questionnaires

We are seeking participants for a number of studies we are currently conducting. The majority of these studies require participation from people over the age of 18, and we require participation from both those who have self-harmed and those who have never self-harmed. Two projects currently being offered in the form of an online questionnaire appear below. If you are interested in participating in these projects please click on the links below to go to an information page, and the questionnaire.

• The roles of anxiety and depression in self-injurious behaviour
• Self-Injury in University Students

Contact Us

If you are interested in hearing more about our work, participating in our research or joining our group please contact Dr Hasking.

Dr. Penelope Hasking
School of Psychology, Psychiatry & Psychological Medicine
Monash University
Caulfield East, 3145, VIC

Ph: + 61 03 9903 1148
Fax: + 61 03 9903 2501

Email: Penelope.Hasking@med.monash.edu.au