Self-harm and fire-setting in females with Personality Disorder
Research type
Research Study
Full title
An exploration of maladaptive coping behaviour: self-harm and fire-setting in incarcerated females with Personality Disorder.
IRAS ID
125071
Contact name
Mary McMurran
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Nottingham, Head of Research Grants and Contracts
Research summary
The purpose of this study is to first examine the associations between fire-setting (FS) and self-harm (SH) in females with a diagnosis of personality disorder (PD). Associations have been observed between self-harm and both self-reported episodes of fire-setting and previous convictions for arson in a sample of female remand prisoners (Wilkins & Coid, 1991). But it remains unclear whether an underlying relationship exists between self-harm and fire-setting or whether self-mutilation is just one of a series of maladaptive behaviours demonstrated by highly disturbed women who set fires.
The aims of this research are;
1)To identify the prevalence of both self-harm and fire-setting behaviour in women incarcerated at HMP Newhall
2)To examine the prevalence and type of PD diagnoses in women who both self-harm and set fires
2)To describe the clinical and socio-demographic characteristics of women with and without PD who self-harm and set fires
3)To understand the origins, motivations and functions of these behaviours and identify links that may exist from both the perspective of the women and also within an interpretative framework
4)To inform secure services of potential treatment targets/interventions designed to address self-harm and fire-setting in women, with a PD.REC name
North East - York Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
13/NE/0185
Date of REC Opinion
1 Aug 2013
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion