Growing Happy, Healthy Young Minds

Edited by Dr Ramesh Manocha & Gyongyi Horvath
To read the full chapter go to Volume 1, chapter 6, pp. 80-95.

Authors

Dr Claire Kelly

Manager of Youth Programs, Mental Health First Aid Australia

Dr Claire Kelly is the manager of youth programs at Mental Health First Aid Australia. She has been a main contributor to the mental health first aid guidelines projects. Claire has experienced episodes of depression and anxiety since early adolescence, which has been a driver for her work

Non-suicidal self-injury is a dysfunctional coping strategy that is often used by young people at times of great distress, and often indicates an underlying mental health problem. This chapter describes the problem and offers advice on how to assist a young person who is engaging in this behaviour.

Want to Learn More, Get Help or Find Support?

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Kids Helpline:
Helpline: 1800 55 1800
Lifeline:
Helpline: 13 11 14
Suicide Call Back Service:
This is a telephone counselling service available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for people who are suicidal.
Helpline: 1300 659 467

Mental Health First Aid Australia: www.mhfa.com.au
Black Dog Institute: www.blackdoginstitute.org.au

Fischer JA, Kelly CM, Kitchener BA & Jorm AF 2013, ‘Development of Guidelines for Adults on How to Communicate With Adolescents About Mental Health Problems and Other Sensitive Topics’, Sage Open, vol. 3, no. 4.
Mental Health First Aid Australia 2014, Communicating with adolescents: guidelines for adults on how to communicate with adults about mental health problems and other sensitive topics, Mental Health First Aid Australia, Melbourne.
Mental Health First Aid Australia 2015, Non-suicidal self-injury: first aid guidelines, Mental Health First Aid Australia, Melbourne.

1. Martin, G., Swannell, S., Harrison, J., Hazell, P., & Taylor, A., The Australian National Epidemiological Study of Self-Injury (ANESSI),
Centre for Suicide Prevention Studies, Brisbane, Australia, 2010.
2. Martin, G., Swannell, S., Harrison, J., Hazell, P., & Taylor, A., The Australian National Epidemiological Study of Self-Injury (ANESSI), Centre for Suicide
Prevention Studies, Brisbane, Australia, 2010.
3. Klonsky, E.D., May, A.M. & Glenn, C.R., The relationship between nonsuicidal self-injury and attempted suicide: Converging evidence from four
samples,’ Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 2013, 122:231–237.
4. Ross, A.M., Jorm, A.F. & Kelly, C.M., ‘Re-development of mental health first aid guidelines for deliberate non-suicidal self-injury: A Delphi study,’
BMC Psychiatry, 2014, Aug 19; 14:236.

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