Educators' perspectives on non-suicidal self-injuries as experienced by secondary school students

Abstract

Background: Mental health disorders among adolescents are estimated to affect 10% to 20% of this population. Additionally, Non-Suicidal Self-Injuries (NSSIs) are a growing concern for this demographic. Despite this alarming rise, no local study on the educators’ perspectives on NSSIs in secondary school students has been conducted to date. This study sought to explore educators’ perspectives on NSSIs experienced by secondary school students. The main objectives were to identify how participating educators viewed their roles in providing support to their students’ challenges in relation to NSSIs; to identify if NSSIs affect youngsters’ lives and academic performance; and to explore whether educators seek more professional development courses to be better equipped to support their students better. Design Methodology: A qualitative research design was used, following the principles underpinning Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Eight educators, three male and five female educators who taught at the Gozo College, Secondary School participated in the research study. Semi-structured interviews were used as a data collecting tool with a purposeful sample of (n=8). The eight in-depth interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. IPA was used to analyse the collected data. Findings and Conclusion: The data analysis yielded three superordinate themes, namely emotional impact behind NSSI; factors related to NSSI; and the need and importance of mental health safety and awareness measures. This dissertation provided an opportunity for educator participants to share their experiences and discuss the way forward to promote better mental health and well-being to better support their students.