Managing self-harm in non-affective psychosis: clinical/demographic factors and a model of collaborative risk management.
Poster B117, Friday, October 21, 11:30 am - 1:00 pm, Le Baron
Sarah Mayall1, Alan Farmer1, Alex Matthews1; 1Worcestershire Early Intervention Service UK
A psychotic illness is invariably a traumatic experience, often associated with low mood and despair that can lead to thoughts of self-harm/suicide. 5% of people with a diagnosis of schizophrenia die by suicide and as many as 50% will have at least one episode of self-harm. Even in first episode psychosis (FEP), the risk of suicide is significant and rates of self-harm are already high. Can we identify an ultra-high risk group amongst young people with FEP and provide non-stigmatising but pro-active management? Routine demographic and clinical data from the North Worcestershire Early Intervention Team (EIT) was collated for young people with a non-affective FEP allowing direct comparison between those who had self-harmed/made suicide attempt and those who had not. Rates of self-harm/suicide attempts at any stage during prodromal, acute or recovery stage were around 25%. There was an association with poor engagement, concordance with medication and hospital admissions. We describe our team's use of STORM (skills-based training on risk management for suicide prevention), a collaborative approach to improve personal skills and safety planning that can also assist in wider engagement issues.
Topic Area: Psychosocial Interventions