Thank you for visiting the Study Information Page. Here, you can learn more about this study and whether it is a good fit for your family below.
Study Information
What is this study about?
Our goal is to understand what helps or hinders families’ wellbeing as they navigate the discovery of a youth’s nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI; direct and deliberate damage of one’s body tissue without suicidal intent).
Your participation in this study will provide valuable knowledge to help create family resources on responding to youth self-injury.
What is involved?
- Our research team will call you to determine eligibility, confirm your interest in participating and schedule your intake session. (5-10 minutes)
- If eligible, parents and youth each complete separate Zoom interviews with a research team member. (0.5-1.5 hours each)
- Parents and youth will then complete online surveys every 2 weeks for 12 weeks. (30-45 minutes each)
Who can participate?
We are recruiting teens aged 13-17 and one of their parents* to participate in this study. Parents must have recently learned that their child is engaging in self-injury. Both the youth and parent must live in Canada, and must consent to participate.
* We use the term “parent” to mean a responsible, caring adult who is involved in the youth’s life. This includes biological, step-, adoptive, foster, and grand-parents, as well as other adults who are acting in a parenting role.
Ready to participate?
Find out if you are eligible for this study by filling in our Screening Survey. It should take no more than 5-10 minutes of your time, and can be completed by either the teen or parent.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I learn more about this study?
Who is conducting this research?
This research is being conducted by Dr. Brianna Turner, an Associate Professor, and Christina Robillard, a graduate student, in the Department of Psychology at the University of Victoria.
Where can I learn more about self-injury?
We recommend the following websites, which provide information, coping skills, and other resources for youth who are experiencing self-harm and their families.
Self-injury Outreach & Support
Self-injury Recovery & Resources
Podcasts:
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- Kelty Mental Health’s podcast, Where You Are, has an excellent episode about self-injury
- The Psychology of Self-injury podcast series explores topics related to self-harm in depth
Books:
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- “Freedom from Self-Harm: Overcoming Self-Injury with Skills from DBT and Other Treatments” by Alexander Chapman and Kim Gratz
- “Understanding Self-injury: A Person-Centered Approach” by Stephen Lewis and Penelope Hasking
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