Attitudes of Forensic Psychiatric Staff to Self-Harm Behaviors of Their Female Patients

Abstract

The management of self-harm presents a major challenge in correctional and forensic psychiatric services, especially for women offenders, among whom it is reported to be highly prevalent. Even though staff play an important role in managing self-harm, few studies have evaluated their attitudes to this behavior. In order to understand the attitudes of staff to women’s self-harm, 16 staff members working in a forensic psychiatric hospital participated in semi-structured interviews designed to explore their experience in depth. The staff members presented, on the one hand, positive attitudes expressed as empathy, sensitivity, and positive feelings but, on the other hand, negative attitudes expressed in the form of preconceived ideas and negative feelings. Differences were also noted in their perceptions of the seriousness of self-harm. Self-harm behaviors seem to have a considerable impact not only on caregivers, but also on the entire care unit. Our study supports the importance of both professional support and training for staff who are exposed to this type of behavior. Clinical and research implications are discussed.