• To understand the current provision of self-harm services in England
• To learn about how digital technologies could support patients who self-harm
• To develop ideas for improving your service offering to patients who self-harm
With more than 200,000 presentations to hospital for self-harm each year in England, there is a clear requirement to reduce self-harm and improve well-being in this population. This service evaluation examined the potential for digital self-monitoring of patients’ well-being as an adjunct to psychological supportive therapy. The evaluation used a series of questionnaires to investigate patients’ use of digital technology to self-monitor their mood, suicidality and self-harm behaviour. The authors also collected questionnaire feedback from patients and clinicians about their experience of using the digital technology. Patients who used the digital self-monitoring technology mostly found it useful and easy to use, as did the clinicians. This method of recording patients’ progress has now been incorporated into routine clinical care.
Mental Health Practice. doi: 10.7748/mhp.2021.e1526
Peer reviewThis article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and checked for plagiarism using automated software
Correspondencefiona.brand@oxfordhealth.nhs.uk
Conflict of interestThis research was funded by the National Institute for Health Research Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care Oxford at Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust. The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care
Brand F, Hawton K (2021) Using digital monitoring alongside psychosocial interventions in patients who self-harm. Mental Health Practice. doi: 10.7748/mhp.2021.e1526
AcknowledgementThe authors would like to thank Nic Walnes from the information technology department at Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, who assisted with the True Colours data, and the nursing team who recruited patients to the study
Published online: 30 March 2021
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