Skin camouflage for women prisoners with self-harm scarring: Phase 3&4

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Feasibility and Acceptability of Medical Skin Camouflage for Recovery of Women with Self-Harm Scarring in Prison: Phase 3 and 4

• IRAS ID

  206565

• Contact name

  Kathryn Abel

• Contact email

  kathryn.m.abel@manchester.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  University of Manchester

• Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier

  NCT02638974

• Duration of Study in the UK

  1 years, 4 months, 31 days

• Research summary

  Is medical skin camouflage feasible and acceptable for recovery of women with self-harm scarring in prison?: Phase 3 and 4.

  Women prisoners are more likely to commit suicide or self-harm than women in the community or male prisoners.
  Healthcare services have improved how they manage self-harm in the community and prisons. However, there has been little focus on the recovery of people with self-harm scars. Medical skin camouflage (MSC) is a skin cream designed to camouflage skin conditions. Research on MSC has focused on its use with non-self-harm marks e.g. burns. The evidence from this research suggests that MSC helps women feel better and do more activities. There is little/no evidence about the effects of MSC for women who self-harm and for prisoners.

  This research was funded by the NIHR RfPB. In the research we will examine whether it is possible and practical to use MSC in prison. We will ask prisoners and staff what they think about MSC. The research has four parts. Parts 1 and 2 have already been completed and were conducted to prepare for the later stages of the research. In Part 1 we spoke to groups of people from the prison (prison staff and women prisoners with experience of self-harm) about the best way to use MSC and how to measure its effects. In Part 2 we used the information from these focus groups to design a programme for MSC application, including training materials for part 3. In Part 3 we will train prisoners to apply MSC. We will then conduct a small pilot randomised control trial in part 4. This application covers Part 3 and 4 only.

  Potential benefits of the entire study may be an increase in self-esteem and quality of life for the women prisoners. As women recover they may be less likely to self-harm.

• REC name

  West of Scotland REC 3

• REC reference

  16/WS/0155

• Date of REC Opinion

  8 Aug 2016

• REC opinion

  Favourable Opinion