A new strategy has been launched by the Scottish government with the aim of tackling stigma and better supporting people who self-harm or have in the past.

Believed to be the first national self-harm strategy in the world, the Scottish government has invested £1.5m in the new strategy which aims to build national support services, improve data-sharing and evidence-gathering, and deepen the compassionate understanding of self-harm.

Professor Amy Chandler was the supervising academic on a study commissioned as part of the strategy development to consider what could be learned from those with lived experience of self-harm. She said:

“Self-harm is often misunderstood, with those who self-harm all too often receiving inappropriate, dismissive, or even harmful responses.

“While many nations have suicide prevention strategies that include self-harm, this strategy is unique in addressing self-harm separately. This is important, because while self-harm and suicide can be related, this is not always the case.

“This strategy builds upon positive work in Scotland that has already begun, with commitment to working with, and being informed by, those who have lived and living experiences of self-harm.”

Self-harm support and stigma

One service supported by this funding is the national out-of-hours webchat support delivered by Penumbra as part of Self Harm Network Scotland.

The service also provides up-to-date, reliable and accessible advice for anyone affected by self-harm and offers free online and in-person training sessions across Scotland.

A Highlands mother who has made use of the Self Harm Network Support services so far but wished to remain anonymous shared her experience during a period of postnatal depression:

“I received support from Self-Harm Network Scotland after suffering with anxiety and depression following the birth of my daughter.

“I used self-harm at the time to cope with my feelings and emotions.

“The support I received was amazing. One of the best parts of the whole service was having someone with lived experience like my peer practitioner by my side. They helped me understand that I wasn’t alone in what I was experiencing.

“When I found out about the live chat launching, this filled me with confidence. I knew that I had the tools to cope that my peer practitioner had equipped me with, but also, that the chat was there if I was ever struggling and needed to talk to someone quickly.”

She added that she hopes to see more people become aware of the live chat and self-referral processes available, and to know that support is there if you need help.

The strategy, which was developed in partnership with COSLA and informed by people with lived experience, also details a three-year action plan to prioritise addressing discrimination and stigma and improving support.

COSLA Health and Social Care spokesperson Councillor Paul Kelly said:

“Self-harm can be a difficult issue, both for those experiencing it and those who support them.

“We welcome this strategy which seeks to build knowledge and confidence in responding to self-harm across a range of settings, ensuring more people receive the effective and compassionate response they need. We look forward to continuing to work collectively across, and beyond government to support its progress.”

Accessing mental health support

While the self-harm strategy recognises self-harm is most prevalent among young women and those from the most deprived areas, it outlines barriers to monitoring successful support efforts for people who self-harm.

For instance, highlights that the way data is currently collected means it can be difficult to differentiate between an increase in help-seeking and an increase in prevalence of self-harm.

Audit Scotland also recently warned that a ‘fragmented’ system means that the government is ‘not on track’ for mental health, with mental health inequalities persisting.

Meanwhile, a Holyrood committee has launched an investigation into ‘under-pressure’ adult mental health services to understand the challenges facing staff and the impact of current services.

Now, this dedicated self-harm strategy comes just weeks after the government released launched new action plans, which it says signal a mental health ‘reset’ and commitments to shift the balance of care to the community and improve monitoring of mental health outcomes.

Launching the new self-harm strategy, Scotland’s Minister for Mental Wellbeing Maree Todd said:

“We believe that any person who has self-harmed or is thinking about self-harming should receive compassionate support with a focus on recovery, without fear of stigma or discrimination.

“The way in which people seek support and discuss self-harm is changing with many going online for help, so the webchat service being offered by Penumbra is very welcome.

“This work is also helping to build our understanding about self-harm and the most helpful interventions so that we can continue to improve the services on offer.”

The action plan within this strategy is set to be reviewed in 18 months, where any early learning, service evaluation and qualitative feedback can inform the next phase of delivery.

Read more: ‘Fundamental shift' needed for perinatal mental health; Adult mental health services probe begins; Government ‘not on track' for mental health; Role of Mental Health Officers ‘critical’; Public health policy needed for gambling harms; Analysis: Why people are left behind

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