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Cutting across boundaries: A case study using feminist praxis to understand the meanings of self‐harm
Author(s) -
McAndrew Sue,
Warne Tony
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
international journal of mental health nursing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.911
H-Index - 54
eISSN - 1447-0349
pISSN - 1445-8330
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-0979.2005.00378.x
Subject(s) - harm , praxis , thematic analysis , deliberate self harm , psychology , meaning (existential) , qualitative research , mental health , social psychology , suicide prevention , gender studies , poison control , sociology , psychotherapist , epistemology , medicine , social science , philosophy , environmental health
Deliberate self‐harm predominantly occurs in women under the age of 30 years. This qualitative case study using feminist methods explored the experiences of three women who each had a long history of self‐harming behaviour. Psychoanalytical concepts are used to explore the meaning of the conflicts that these women experience. Emergent themes include: great expectations, I speak but no one hears, sexual naivety meets sexual violence, and redrawing the sexual map. This thematic analysis helps facilitate an insight into what these women are trying to communicate, and provides guidance for mental health professionals to more effectively respond to the challenges of working with women who self‐harm.