Therapeutic assessment based on cognitive - Analytic therapy for young people presenting with self-harm: Pilot study

Abstract

Aims and methods: Adolescents presenting with self-harm have poor adherence to community follow-up. Poor adherence is a principal obstacle to treatment delivery and is associated with poor psychosocial outcomes. Therapeutic assessment is a novel method of assessing adolescents with self-harm. We compared therapeutic assessment with assessment as usual in a pilot study of 38 adolescents referred for psychosocial assessment following self-harm. Results: Significantly more adolescents assessed with therapeutic assessment than with usual assessment attended the first community follow-up appointment (75% v. 40%, χ2=3.89, P<0.05) and engaged with services (62% v. 30% χ2=4.49, P<0.05). Clinical implications: Young people assessed using therapeutic assessment may be more likely to engage with community follow-up. Atherapeutic intervention at the time of the initial assessment might be necessary to enable future therapeutic work.