Vem tycker vad om självskadebeteende ? : En enkätundersökning om allmänhetens attityder

Sammanfattning: Objective: To examine the psychometric properties of the instrument Lund Attitudes Towards Self Harm (LASH) and use the best-suited version, six items or less, to investigate public attitudes to self-harm. Method: A questionnaire about demographic variables, the experience of self-harm in close relationships and the following scales; LASH, Community attittudes towards the Mentally Ill (CAMI-S), Reported and Intended Behaviour Scale (RIBS) and Mental Health Knowledge Scale (MAKS). The latter three scales were used to validate LASH. Demographic variables, the experience of self-injurious behavior in intimate relationships and the results CAMI-S, RIBS and MAKS were correlated with the outcome of the most appropriate version of the LASH. The questionnaire was distributed digitally and physically to respondents through social networking and recruitment in libraries and high school classes among others. Results: LASH showed acceptable (α = .72) internal consistency as 5-item scale (LASH-5). Related scales correlated in accordance with expectations; RIBS (r = .47), CAMI S (r = .57) and MAKS (r = .35), all of which are significant (p <.001), indicating an acceptable validity of LASH-5. The demographic variables that showed a significant association with the outcome of the LASH-5 was the population density of the respondent's place of residence and number of parents born outside Sweden. Higher population density and fewer parents born outside Sweden showed a positive correlation (r = .25 and .13), which can be seen as a higher tolerance or acceptance of self-harm. Also the experience of self-harm in close relationships showed a significant (p <.001) associated with the outcome of the LASH-5.