During 2024, the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) Mental Health Improvement Team, hosted by Glasgow City HSCP, has been working with three further and higher education institutions in Glasgow. In line with Scotland's Self-harm Strategy and Action Plan 2023, the team has worked with education staff to increase awareness and understanding of self-harm.

Self-harm is a sign of serious emotional distress and is more common among young people. Statistics suggest that one in six young people aged 16 to 24 years old have self-harmed at some point in their lives. They also show that one in 10 students have reported they had intentionally self-harmed within the last six months.

The Strategy aims for anyone affected by self-harm to receive compassionate support without fear of stigma or discrimination. It highlights the need to expand and deepen self-harm knowledge, provision of core training and continuous professional development for key professional groups, including schools and further education.

Forty-one staff from the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow Caledonia University and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland took part in self-harm learning opportunities. These included an Introduction to Self-harm, What’s the Harm Self-harm Awareness and Skills one-day training and a What’s the Harm Training for Trainers course.

Heather Sloan, Health Improvement Lead, Mental Health said: “The response from staff was overwhelmingly positive. They welcomed much needed information and understanding of self-harm and access to resources to equip them to support students who disclose they are using self-harm as a coping strategy.

“From our conversations with college and university colleagues, we know that self-harm disclosures from students can be a common concern for staff members. We’re delighted that establishments take the welfare of their students seriously and the training we offered has been embraced. This will enable staff to support students in a meaningful and practical way.”

Staff from the University of Strathclyde said: “We’re grateful to be working in collaboration with NHSGGC and Glasgow City HSCP to make this training available at the University. By having 10 internal trainers it greatly increases our potential to be able to roll this out across our community. We’re committed to integrating ‘What’s the Harm’ training into our whole university approach to wellbeing and mental health.”

Heather continued: “Our Mental Health Improvement Team staff will continue to build on this programme of self-harm capacity building and will be working with a number of further and higher education establishments during 2025.”

For more information please visit Self-Harm - NHSGGC (reading section) and/or contact ggc.mhead@nhs.scot