The Antecedents, Treatment Strategies and Motivations of Self-harm among Teenagers: Case of Bridge for Youth, Minneapolis, USA

Abstract

This paper is a culmination of a practicum report by the author done at the Bridge for youth facility in Minneapolis, USA. The Bridge for youth is one of the first places in the United States for youth in need of shelter and support. It is a leader in the provision of comprehensive shelter, counseling, and housing services and a model organization in the community serving youth in crisis in the US. It is assumed that the findings and recommendation therapy strategies from this study could be applied elsewhere within the subset of teenage population. This paper has three objectives with regard to examining self-harm among teenagers at the facility. The first objective is to establish the prevalence and the attributes of self-harm among the study population. The second objective is to examine the antecedents of self-harm with treatment strategies and lastly; to evaluate the motivations for self-harm among teenagers. The researcher used three techniques in solution-focused therapy including; the miracle question, exception question, and scaling questions. These approaches are based on open-minded, non-judgmental listening and on harm minimization rather than abstinence. Psychotherapy primarily involved altering emotion regulation strategies. Generally, treatment recommendations focused on assisting self-injurers to broaden their range of coping strategies, and improve problem solving capabilities. The researcher also used Solution focused brief therapy and Narrative therapy, in which data was collected from both parents and children who participated in treatment.