Near-lethal self-harm in women prisoners: contributing factors and psychological processes

We investigated the circumstances and psychological processes involved in the near-lethal self-harm acts of 60 women prisoners, using qualitative and quantitative methods. Most incidents involved hanging or ligaturing and high levels of suicidal ideation, and were attributable to individual and pris...

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Detalhes bibliográficos
Main Authors: Marzano, L, Fazel, S, Rivlin, A, Hawton, K
Formato: Journal article
Idioma:English
Publicado em: 2011
Descrição
Resumo:We investigated the circumstances and psychological processes involved in the near-lethal self-harm acts of 60 women prisoners, using qualitative and quantitative methods. Most incidents involved hanging or ligaturing and high levels of suicidal ideation, and were attributable to individual and prison-related factors. Half of the incidents were described as impulsive, but mostly occurred against a background of longer-term suicidality and multiple repeated attempts. Hopelessness and images of past trauma were common in the lead-up to the acts. These findings have implications for prevention of suicidal behaviour in female prisoners. © 2011 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.