The British Journal of Psychiatry (2008) 192: 202-211. doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.107.037564
© 2008 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
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Cognitive–behavioural intervention for self-harm: randomised controlled trial

Nadja Slee, MSc and Nadia Garnefski, PhD

Unit of Clinical Psychology

Rien van der Leeden, PhD

Unit of Methods and Statistics, Leiden University Institute for Psychological Research, Leiden, The Netherlands

Ella Arensman, PhD

National Suicide Research Foundation, Cork, Ireland

Philip Spinhoven, PhD

Unit of Clinical Psychology, Leiden University Institute for Psychological Research, and Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands

Correspondence: Nadja Slee, Department of Clinical, Health and Neuropsychology, Wassenaarseweg 52, PO Box 9555, 2300 RB Leiden, The Netherlands. Email: nadja.slee{at}planet.nl

Declaration of interest

None. Funding detailed in Acknowledgements.

Background

Self-harm by young people is occurring with increasing frequency. Conventional in-patient and out-patient treatment has yet to be proved efficacious.

Aims

To investigate the efficacy of a short cognitive–behavioural therapy intervention with 90 adolescents and adults who had recently engaged in self-harm.

Method

Participants (aged 15–35 years) were randomly assigned to treatment as usual plus the intervention, or treatment as usual only. Assessments were completed at baseline and at 3 months, 6 months and 9 months follow-up.

Results

Patients who received cognitive–behavioural therapy in addition to treatment as usual were found to have significantly greater reductions in self-harm, suicidal cognitions and symptoms of depression and anxiety, and significantly greater improvements in self-esteem and problem-solving ability, compared with the control group.

Conclusions

These findings extend the evidence that a time-limited cognitive–behavioural intervention is effective for patients with recurrent and chronic self-harm.


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M. Kripalani, A. Gash, and J. Reilly
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The British Journal of Psychiatry, July 1, 2008; 193(1): 80 - 80.
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eLetters:

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CBT for Self-Harm: Conclusions Overstated??
Dr Mukesh Kripalani, et al.
BJP Online, 9 Apr 2008 [Full text]
CBT for Self-Harm: No Overstated Conclusions
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BJP Online, 15 Apr 2008 [Full text]