New Book on Self-Injury by TCD Researcher aims to Raise Awareness of the Misunderstood Condition
Posted on: 09 September 2010
A comprehensive study which explores the experience of self-injury in Ireland and its causes was launched in Trinity College Dublin on Thursday September 9th last. The book, entitled Flesh Wounds? New Ways of Understanding Self-Injury, by Dr Kay Inckle of TCD’s School of Social Work and Social Policy, is designed to tackle the issue of self-injury by presenting real life experiences and best practice interventions through a series of short stories.
Self-injury, also called self-harm, is a coping mechanism used by individuals to express and manage complex and traumatic feelings and experiences such as abuse, neglect, trauma, loss and bullying. Previous to this statistics relating to self-injury in Ireland have been based around the small proportion that require emergency medical intervention however these incidents are not representative of the prevalence of self-injury across the population as a whole. Furthermore, self-injurious behaviour can be disturbing and difficult for those who live with and care for sufferers to understand leading to a breakdown in care for the individual involved.
This book aims to bridge the gap between understanding the complex reasons for self-injury and its significance for individuals, and identify techniques that have been successful in working with and supporting those who self-injure. The research used new methods of exploring self-injury and its meaning and purpose in someone’s life, and is the first book of its kind to be published in the UK and Ireland. Through in-depth interviews with people who experience self-injury and those who provide services for them the author challenges the stigmatising view of self-injury, presents practices which offer acceptance and support across the breadth and depth of someone’s needs, and helps to dispel common misconceptions about self-injury.
Speaking about the book Dr Kay Inckle said: “This research is designed to be relevant and accessible to lay persons and service users as well as professionals and policy makers. It helps people to understand the experience of self-injury and what kind of responses and interventions are helpful and which are not. It is a resource which raises awareness and promotes dialogue about self-injury across all sectors and offers immediate and practical methods of support.”
Flesh Wounds? New ways of understanding self-injury marks the conclusion of a two year post-doctoral research project, funded by the Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences and carried out in TCD’s School of Social Work and Social Policy.
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