Presentation given at above conference:

Suicide and self-harm are major issues in low- and middle-income countries
LMICs), where 77% of global suicides occur (WHO). Only recently has suicide been decriminalised in India and Pakistan. There is a lack of understanding how hospital staff interpret and make sense of self-harm and suicide. This is
important as their attitudes and opinions are likely to have an impact on treatment and follow-up.

Hospital staff were recruited in three hospitals, where we conducted 29 interviews in English, ranging from 20 to 180 minutes. Interviews focused
on experiences with self-harm patients, reasons for self-harm and suicide, reactions of others (family, society, etc.) and support needs. Participants included a wide range of staff including nurses, emergency staff, psychiatrists, psychologists, and medico-legal officers. Interviews were conducted by local researchers. Transcripts and notes were analysed using a codebook approach to thematic analysis (Bazeley, 2013).

We are currently analysing the data and will present findings at the conference. Initial analysis suggest that socio-cultural, legal and economic factors need to be considered when aiming to develop prevention and treatment programmes. A focus on attitudes of health professionals, who have a key role when working with self-harm patients and their families is essential.