The distress of a young person who has self-harmed is not reflected by the severity of the injury or the method of self-harm. Crisis Youth MHFA Revisit the Youth MHFA action plan in full. Address any physical injury. Depending on the nature of the injury, medical attention may be needed to avoid risk of infection or serious physical health complications. Always follow physical first aid guidelines and seek medical advice. If a young person has self-harmed by self-poisoning , call an ambulance immediately on 999 – poisoning can cause serious long-term damage. Show you understand self-harm. It can be very upsetting to be with someone who self-harms, especially a young person. It is important to try and concentrate on the young person and share that you understand self-harm is a coping strategy and not attention-seeking behaviour. Be prepared for the young person to express intense emotions. Validate their emotions by explaining that these emotions are appropriate and understandable for what they are experiencing. It is possible to acknowledge the young person’s emotional experience without agreeing with their actions or focusing on them (278). Don’t try to force change. Don’t set goals, pacts, or ultimatums relating to their self-harm – this may become an additional source of stress. Instead, try to explore what helpful coping strategies the young person might already use. There is no right or wrong answer here, as different things may work for different people. Offer relevant information about self-harm and practical help with developing alternative coping strategies (278). Look out for other signs of poor mental health. Where it becomes apparent that the young person is also experiencing depression,
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