The familial experience of adolescent self-harm (Version2)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The adolescent and parent/caregiver experience of adolescent self-harm and family functioning: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis.
IRAS ID
192544
Contact name
Peter Barrett
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Tees, Esk, and Wear Valley NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 4 months, 31 days
Research summary
Adolescent self-harm is a significant public health concern within the United Kingdom, with estimated lifetime prevalence rates of 13-18% within adolescent community samples. Given such prevalence, there has been an increased emphasis on this population within the research domain; a large amount of which has focused on self-harm within the context of the family system. Although, historically, such familial research has found evidence for a link between familial factors and increased risk of self-harm, more recent research has also found self-harm to have a reciprocal impact on family functioning. Subsequently, researchers have suggested that the relationship between adolescent self-harm and family functioning is dynamic, with self-harm adding stress to an already vulnerable family system. However, most research into this association has been quantitative, with limited qualitative research into the differing familial experiences of adolescent self-harm. This proposed research therefore aims to address this gap by exploring both the adolescent and parent/caregiver experience of adolescent self-harm and family functioning; providing an insight into the complexities clinicians may encounter when working with this population and potential individual and family-based interventions for this client group.
An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach will be adopted within this study; a qualitative approach concerned with the participants “lived experience”. Adolescents (males and females; aged 13-17) with a history of self-harm (more than one incident over the previous 12 months) will be recruited (until saturation) from four Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service sites. One parent/caregiver will also be recruited for each member of the adolescent sample; ensuring the investigation of an adolescent-parent/caregiver dyad. Following recruitment, individual semi–structured interviews will be conducted (at CAMHS sites) and analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Results will be discussed in relation to psychological theory, literature, and clinical practice implications. The project should be finished by August 2017.
REC name
North East - York Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/NE/0218
Date of REC Opinion
12 Aug 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion