Exploring Mental Imagery and Self-Harm in Young People
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A mixed-methods cross-sectional study to explore whether mental imagery increases the risk of self-harm in young people.
IRAS ID
274060
Contact name
Karima Susi
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Oxford / Clinical Trials and Research Governance
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 1 months, 30 days
Research summary
Self-harm can be defined as hurting yourself on purpose,such as cutting or overdosing, no matter what the reason. Self-harm and suicide are rising in the UK, particularly in adolescents and young adults (defined as ‘young people’). We still know little about what makes young people move from thinking about self-harm to engaging in self-harm. However, we know that negative emotions often precede self-harm, and that mental imagery evoke stronger emotions than verbal thoughts. Mental imagery has recently been implicated in the self-harm of adults, whereby the more mental images someone has about self-harm the more likely they are to self-harm in real life. This is thought to be because mental imagery is a stronger motivator for action than verbal thoughts. Mental imagery is defined as a perceptual experience, such as “pictures in our heads”. For instance, if someone told you to think of a pink elephant, an image or impression of one may form in your mind. One study found that over 90% of young adults experience mental images related to self-harm, so it is likely that young people also experience these sorts of images. However, imagery about self-harm is rarely assessed in routine clinical practice or as part of risk assessments with young people. To our knowledge, the proposed study is the first of its kind to explore self-harm imagery in young people aged 14-24 years currently attending NHS mental health services. The current project aims to investigate the amount and nature of any mental imagery related to self-harm, and whether mental imagery strengthens the link between negative feelings before self-harm and completing self-harm primarily using a 20 minute questionnaire (visit totaling 40 minutes), but also a 30-60 minute in-depth interview. The findings of the study could help improve assessment and treatment for young people who self-harm.
REC name
West Midlands - Black Country Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
20/WM/0148
Date of REC Opinion
15 Jun 2020
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion