Increasing Knowledge and Confidence: An Evaluation of a Two-Day Workshop on Self-injury for School Staff in a Swedish Educational Setting

Abstract Self-injury in adolescents is a significant mental health concern. Most school staff have encountered self-injury in the educational setting, yet many report not feeling confident in dealing with self-injury. We delivered nine two-day workshops on suicidal and nonsuicidal self-injury to 199 school staff (83.9% female, 67.3% school health staff) and examined the feasibility, acceptability, and potential effect of the training. Self-report measures were administered before, immediately after, and at 6-month follow-up. The workshop was feasible with high completion rates and acceptability. There were significant main effects of time with improvements in knowledge and perceived knowledge, confidence, attitudes, and emotional burden. Moderating effects of profession and years of experience were examined, with especially profession emerging as a moderator on several outcomes. Self-reported behavioral changes at follow-up focused on increased attention to self-injury, feeling more confident and calmer, focusing on the functions of self-injury, and discussing school routines. The results from the study suggest positive effects of delivering education on self-injury to school staff. Increased knowledge and confidence, together with more positive attitudes, have the potential to improve for school staff. Examining the effects on students with self-injury in the educational setting is an important next step.