Conference on Self-Injury: Everybody Hurts Sometimes

Mar 05, 2012

A conference on self-injury, organised by Dr Kay Inckle of Trinity’s School of Social Work and Social Policy, was opened by Dr Tony Bates, Founder of Headstrong, the National Centre for Youth Mental Health on Friday March 2nd last.  The conference, entitled Everybody Hurts Sometimes, explored self-injury across a range of different groups and contexts with the aim of promoting awareness and improving understanding and useful responses to self-injury.

Self-injury is a widespread experience that spans the entire population: young and old, male and female, socially disadvantaged and privileged alike.  Research shows that one in five people may experience self-injury during their lifetime (figure from UNICEF Ireland, 2011).  Speakers at the conference presented contemporary research from both the UK and Ireland from service user and practitioner perspectives.  The research presentations aimed to bring to light new and more productive ways of understanding and responding to self-injury by highlighting the problems with current Irish government strategies including the Reach Out programme and responses in schools and mental health services.

Research presented throughout the course of the day demonstrated that a significant review of policy and a restructuring of practice must be undertaken to successfully help those who self-injure.  Speakers explored the myths and misunderstandings about self-injury, highlighting how these can impact on therapeutic services.  Research also highlighted how the promotion of self-care has also been found to be crucial to the process. 

This is the fourth annual conference on self-injury organised by Dr Kay Inckle.  Speaking at the event Dr Kay Inckle said: “This conference highlights that we need a radical rethink of how we understand and respond to self-injury in Ireland.  We need to base our response to self-injury on the stated needs and experiences of people who self-injure not on remote policy or statistics.”

Trinity in the News:

• Irish Examiner