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Psychological interventions in self-injurious behaviour

Working with people with a learning disability

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 January 2018

Sabrina Halliday  and
Kelvin Mackrell
Sabrina Halliday*
Affiliation:
Clinical Psychology, Psychotherapy and Counselling Unit, Leeds CMH Trust
Kelvin Mackrell
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Psychology, Wakefield and Pontefract Community NHS Trust
*
S. Halliday, Department of Clinical Psychology, Learning Disability Service. St Mary's Hospital, Greenhill Road, Leeds LS12 3QE
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Abstract

Background

Psychological approaches to working with people with learning disabilities who self-injure have developed over the past 30 years.

Method

The major literature is reviewed and an ecological framework is described which emphasises the importance of environmental, interpersonal and intrapersonal dynamics to understanding the multi-factorial nature of self-injury. Case examples are given.

Results

Self-injury is seen as essentially communicative and functionally adaptive; it is the person's best attempt to deal with abusive, neglecting or traumatic environments or events.

Conclusions

The persistence of self-injurious behaviour once established, requires an interdisciplinary approach which addresses comprehensively the variety of factors which have contributed to the development and maintenance of self-injury.

Type
Review Articles
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 172 , Issue 5 , May 1998 , pp. 395 - 400
Copyright
Copyright © 1998 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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Footnotes

†

This paper was originally presented, in part, at a conference ‘Self-injurious behaviour in people with a learning disability’ at Thomas Danby College, Leeds. 1 November 1996. See related papers pp. 381–394. this issue.

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