University leads self-harm study

A £4.5m study led by the University of Leeds is to examine the best ways to prevent young people self-harming.

The seven-year project will look at a range of treatments with more than 800 young people who have harmed themselves in the past.

Those diagnosed with severe depression or other serious mental illness will not be asked to take part.

The university said an estimated 10 to 15% of young people in the UK have self-harmed.

The project is being funded by the National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment (NIHR HTA) programme.

Family difficulties

Professor David Cottrell, dean of medicine at the university, is leading the trial.

He said: "Currently services use a range of different treatment approaches but we don't have enough evidence to know which is the most effective.

"We know there is a link between self-harm and difficulties in family relationships and communication.

"However, there just isn't enough evidence of the effectiveness of the therapies used to help these young people, though smaller studies have indicated that family therapy could be an effective technique in reducing further episodes of self-harm in adolescents.

"We are delighted that the NIHR HTA programme has agreed to fund what is one of the largest studies of child and adolescent mental health ever to be conducted in the UK."

Participants in the trial will be 11 to 17-year-olds from across the UK who have self-harmed more than once and have needed hospital admission for their injuries.