First paper from SASH Research Project

After a long break, a couple of updates on the SASH Research Project. Although the project finished officially in 2014, I have continued to work with the data from the interviews, group discussions and survey responses.

The first full-length paper based on findings from the SASH Research Project has been published online in YOUNG: The Nordic Journal of Youth Research. You can see a summary online here.

Anyone who would like to see a copy of the paper can email me (a[dot]chandler[at]ed.ac.uk).

Findings from the project are also featured in a book, which was published last year.

Talking and writing about self-harm

Really enjoyed giving an online seminar for WithScotland this week. The slides from the talk can be accessed here: talking and writing about self-harm 21-04-15.

I’m writing up some of the findings on ‘attention-seeking’ – an ever contentious topic – for publication.

I will also be talking next week at an NHS Self-Harm Awareness event being held in East Dunbartonshire next week; sharing a programme with the On Edge folk again (they joined the launch event for the SASH Research Project).

On Edge is a really comprehensive pack for teachers with lesson plans and material to help support teachers to address self-harm in a series of dedicated classes. Given that young people in the SASH Research Project often highlighted how little self-harm was talked about in schools, this is a very positive development.

Upcoming talk: online!

Booking is now open for an online ‘webinar’ I’m doing for WithScotland

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/talking-and-writing-about-self-harm-analysing-the-accounts-of-young-people-aged-13-16-tickets-15350316209

I’ll be presenting more of the findings from the SASH Research Project.

I’ve also started work on a couple of papers for academic journals, so this talk – and the one in Glasgow on 25th – will be a really good opportunity to share some ideas.

Upcoming talk – Glasgow

I’m giving a talk next month where I’ll be sharing some more findings from the SASH Research Project. The talk will be focusing on what those aged 16 and under said and wrote about self-harm, exploring three themes: emotions, addiction and bodies.

Glasgow Caledonian University on 25th February 2015, see flyer below. This seminar is free to attend, though you do need to book:

‘Emotions, addiction and bodies: exploring accounts of self-harm among young people aged 13-16′

Project findings and film = launched!

The launch event Friday went really well – lots of people from far and wide came to hear some of the findings from the project, see the SASHA film, as well as find out about other work going on in Scotland around young people, self-harm, alcohol and drug use.

Three leaflets were circulated, two of which are now freely available online and can be accessed here:

http://www.crfr.ac.uk/assets/SASHwebbriefing.pdf

http://www.crfr.ac.uk/assets/SASHypbriefingweb.pdf

Another leaflet covered findings around alcohol and drug use, and I’ll post that here ASAP.

The SASHA film can be seen on CRFR’s youtube channel:

It is also embedded here.

The film was made by Yasmin, based on some of the findings from the project.

Launch Event Date Finalised!

Preparations are under way for the launch event of findings from the SASH Research Project.

The event will be held at the University of Edinburgh, on Friday 31st October, from 2-5pm. It will be free to attend, and I’ll be posting details of how to register soon. Anyone with an interest in the findings will be welcome to come along.

 As well as hearing about some of the findings, the event will see the premier of the animated film created by young people, and Red Kite Animation Studios.

Boys who self-harm

I’m pulling together some of the findings from the research to add to the animated film; loads of really interesting stuff and I’m looking forward to spending more time in the next couple of months writing about this.

As the film has two main characters who are boys, I’m looking especially at what those who took part in the project have to say about gender and self-harm. Here is a summary:

1. People usually agreed that self-harm was something that girls did more than boys

2. BUT – most people also said that this might be because boys are less likely to tell other people if they do self-harm

Of those who have taken part in the research, most of those who said they had self-harmed were girls. But a lot of them were boys.

5 interviews (2 boys, 3 girls)

89 responses to the survey (58 girls, 23 boys, 6 transgender/genderqueer/genderfluid)

Although the sample in this research is in no way representative, the numbers of boys and girls saying they had self-harmed is pretty similar to what bigger surveys tell us. In the SASH Research Project sample, 26% of survey respondents said they were boys.The most recent data from Scotland found that 23% of all those saying they had self-harmed were boys. An older study from England found 25% of people who said they self-harmed were boys. Definitely more girls than boys are saying they have self-harmed, but still a significant proportion are boys. However, read any article in the news about self-harm, and you are likely to get the idea that self-harm is mainly a ‘girl thing’. The news features almost always talk to a girl who has self-harmed, and highlight that far more girls than boys self-harm.

But, here is what Aaron, one of the SASH participants, had to say:

“Boys don’t talk about it, or show it much, like, or are as open to, like, self harm.  They won’t tell anyone or show anyone.  They’ll deny it if they’re asked”

I’m going to be looking more at whether or not boys and girls have said different things in their interviews and survey responses. More soon.

Animated film imminent

Have just had a look at the first full version of the animated film, and it is looking really great. Given our animation ‘team’ was mostly Yasmin working alone, she has done a great job. We will be doing some final touches over the next few weeks; and by ‘we’ I mean that Jim, from Red Kite Animation, will be doing the final touches, while I pull together some findings from the research to add in.

Here are a few still shots from the current version.

 

 

 

 

 

Also have a meeting this week to plan the launch event, which will be in October 2014; hopefully during the Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film festival.Lots more to come, and lots more work still to do!

Meet Jack… and David

Progress on the animated film has accelerated rapidly! Yasmin brought along a whole host of completed puppets to the meeting last week – all ready to be finished off with colours and detail.

These are the finished puppets of Jack and David, the main characters in the film. We will be all ready to start some filming this week.

I’m also working through a lot of analysis, drawing together the online survey, the group discussions and the interviews. Altogether, 124 young people have taken part in the SASH Research Project and shared their views and experiences of self-harm, drug and alcohol use.

Meet Jack

This is Jack, for now at least – he may return next week with different eyes! The SASH animated film is starting to come to life!

Jack will be one of two main characters in the film. The picture shows the start of his puppet, and will eventually be in the film… moving around… talking… more next week.