Att arbeta med självskadande ungdomar : En kvalitativ studie om kuratorers arbete med självskadande ungdomar på ungdomsmottagningen

Sammanfattning: This paper aims to form a clear understanding of the counsellors work with self-harming at youth clinics. And to explore the counsellors approach to help the youth to change their behavior. And whether the counsellors follow a preventive and supportive way for mental health in relation to adolescent self-injurious behavior. The data collected for this study utilises a primary source of data. Counsellors working at different youth clinics around Sweden were interviewed using  semi-structured interviews. The gathered material was then analyzed using a thematic analysis method.  All the interviewed counsellors asserted on the importance of establishing a good relationship with patients, although each counsellor had their own methods and approaches.  The counsellors reported that young people engage in self-injurious behavior as a means to deal with stress. And that this behaviour seems to be increasing among adolescents due to a number of factors including lack of parental care, bullying at school, addiction issues at home, and many other factors. Upon asking youth caunsellors about their approach, they note that normalizing self-harming behavior during sessions is an essential key to allow patients to open up about their life. Counsellors are actively seeking to uplift the youth by empowerment. Which seems to be a means that helps the counsellors to change the youths coping mechanism. Through getting them to get in touch with their own emotions, change the way they think and deal with problems, as well as help them by motivating them to find social support from the people around them. However, it was also found that some counsellors did not use a preventive method in dealing with the self-harming youth. There is a number of reasons for not using a preventive method by the counsellors, some of which were lack of resources, time limits, and other reasons illustrated in the paper.