Attendance for self-harm in a West Midlands hospital A&E department

This article focuses on the issue of self-harm. It reviews the literature and details specifically a comparison of data collected in the accident and emergency (A&E) department of a hospital in the West Midlands in 1990 and in 1997. Both the research literature and the data collected at the hosp...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:British journal of nursing (Mark Allen Publishing) 2000-02, Vol.9 (4), p.215-220
Main Authors: Kinmond, Kathryn S, Bent, Marie
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Age Distribution
Child
Emergency Nursing
Emergency Service, Hospital - standards
Emergency Service, Hospital - utilization
England - epidemiology
Female
Humans
Male
Mental Health
Middle Aged
Nursing
Nursing Audit
Psychiatric Nursing
Quality of Health Care
Risk Factors
Self-Injurious Behavior - epidemiology
Self-Injurious Behavior - nursing
Self-Injurious Behavior - prevention & control
Sex Distribution
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Summary:This article focuses on the issue of self-harm. It reviews the literature and details specifically a comparison of data collected in the accident and emergency (A&E) department of a hospital in the West Midlands in 1990 and in 1997. Both the research literature and the data collected at the hospital suggest that there is a rise in the numbers of people self-harming and presenting to A&E departments. Any changes in rates of self-harm or the demographic characteristics of the patient population are likely to have important implications for clinical services. Additionally, the links between self-harm and suicide are well documented (Hawton and Fagg, 1988; Morgan and Williams, 1994) and there is an urgent need to ensure quality service for this high-risk group. An effective assessment of the area is difficult. The limited number of comprehensive studies prohibits definitive epidemiological data. Furthermore, confusion over terminology hinders clear analysis and comparison of that which is collected.
ISSN:0966-0461
2052-2819
DOI:10.12968/bjon.2000.9.4.6379