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Results Showed That Adolescents Who Had Group Therapy Were Less Likely To ...

Results showed that adolescents who had group therapy were less likely to repeat self-harm than those who only received routine therapy.
Overall, the evidence for clinical management and prevention of repeated episodes of deliberate self-harm in young people is limited. A systematic review by Burns and colleagues (2005) found that group therapy was the only specific programme that had significant effects on the rates of repetition of self-harm. Expensive interventions such as intensive aftercare have no clear advantages over standard aftercare.

2.1.5 Medical And Surgical Management
Clearly a person who has harmed himself/ herself will have some form of injury, whether superficial or systemic. Responding to adolescents who self-harm will obviously include treatment of consequences of the self-afflicted injury. The treatment of self-injury would be the same as for any other injury, taking into account the level of distress and emotional disturbance experienced by the patient (NICE, 2004).
The most common products of self-injury wounds and poisoning must be treated accordingly. Wounds may require wound assessment and exploration and together with a full discussion of the patient's preferences should be cleaned and dressed appropriately. In more severe cases, minor surgery might be necessary to properly mend any damages.
Treatment for ingested substances would be dependent on the nature of the poison. Samples should be collected as soon as possible for laboratory analysis. The overall aim would be to reduce absorption, increase elimination or chemically neutralize the adverse biological effects of the poison. The guidelines proposed by the National Institute of Clinical Excellence emphasizes the consideration of gastro-intestinal decontamination only in self-harm patients who present early, are fully conscious with a protected airway, and are at risk of significant harm as a result of the poisoning. Activated charcoal could be administered 1 to 2 hours after ingestion. Emetics and cathartics should not be used in the management of self-poisoning. Recommendations by TOXBASE or the National Poisons Information Service (NPIS) should be followed to prevent further complications and harm. Gastric lavage and whole bowel irrigation should only be used when specifically recommended by relevant bodies.
2.1.6 Pharmacological Interventions
Generally, the use of pharmacological agents in treating adolescents who have self-harmed is built on the basis that depression is an underlying problem in these patients. Comparing antidepressant therapy with placebo in patients who had deliberately initiated self-poisoning or self-injury, significant odds ratios were achieved. Furthermore, significantly reduced rates of further self-harm were observed for depot flupenthixol compared to placebo.

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