Question

1. In the past, self injury was often called a suicide gesture, it is now seen in a different light. How do you explain self injury and how would you assess it and what would be your plan for treatment?

Answer 1

The self injury is defined as the type of the suicidal attempt or the failure of the suicidal attempt to harm himself/herself by a person due to depression or other psychological disorders, may be also the cases of the anxiety or the fear knowingly or unknowingly, the intention may be not to harm but it causes the harm at the end of this attempt.

This self injury may be by the burning, skin scratching may be hair pulling or disgraceful movement of the hands, feet or the head.

Sometimes it may cause the serious harm.

In case of these incidences the cases should be assessed with utmost care in the sound supervision of interprofessional healthcare team including physician, nursing staff, and pharmacist as well the psychologists.

Then make a proper plan for the treatment.

Find the root cause of such happening may be psychological reason, any event or any other social, environmental factor responsible to aggravate these cases.

Then the medication schedule is determined.

Then psychological treatment is provided.

At the same time motivate the patient; involve him/her in some cultural events, music, painting, yoga and other such programmes.

Then the assessment of the patient is done on the periodical basis, the improvement is recorded and advised to maintain the friendly environment during the whole course of the treatment.