Qualitative Study on the Attitude of Nurses Towards Self-Harming Clients

Author(s)	Ms. Mini Patiyal
Country	India
Abstract	Nurses encounter self-harm very frequently in various healthcare settings, yet the issue is rarely highlighted in psychiatric contexts. This study aimed to assess the attitudes of nurses towards self-harming clients at Teerthanker Mahaveer Hospital & Research Centre. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with eight staff nurses. Thematic content analysis revealed several key themes: attention-seeking behaviour, caring attitudes towards clients, optimism and partnership working, feelings of acceptance and readiness, challenging nurse-patient relationships, need for training, and viewing patients as a burden. Findings indicated that nurses are generally concerned about clients’ health and emotional stability but often feel incompetent in managing self-harming behaviour. Experience with such clients contributed to nurses’ learning and professional growth. Overall, most nurses expressed a positive and caring attitude towards clients.
Keywords	Qualitative study, Self-harming clients, Deliberate self-harm
Published In	Volume 8, Issue 1, January-February 2026
Published On	2026-02-24

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International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research