Self-harm in schools : does an elearning training module improve UK secondary school teachers’ knowledge and confidence in supporting young people who self-harm?

Introduction: Teachers are often faced with incidences of young people who self-harm but can feel ill-equipped to offer support. The United Kingdom (UK) government state that all staff working in schools should be trained on how to deal with self-harm, yet a large proportion of teachers identify a lack of training as a barrier to supporting students. Barriers to receiving training are a lack of time and resource in schools. Aim: This study seeks to investigate whether a bespoke eLearning module, designed for UK secondary school teachers, helps to increase knowledge and confidence in supporting young people who self-harm. Method: Twenty-one schools across the West Midlands and South West of England were contacted via email and invited to complete a 30-minute web-based eLearning module on self-harm in schools. Participants were also invited to complete pre-and post-intervention measures and a follow-up questionnaire. The data was analysed using non-parametric statistics and the free-text comments using Thematic Content Analysis. Results: 173 teachers completed the eLearning and pre-and post-measures and 16 completed a follow-up questionnaire. The eLearning significantly enhanced participants’ perceived knowledge, actual knowledge and confidence in talking to and supporting young people who self-harm. 90.7% of participants felt that eLearning was a good way to receive training. The following themes emerged from the qualitative data: Learning about self-harm is important; eLearning is convenient and accessible; eLearning is less engaging than other modes of training delivery; Training improved my confidence and understanding; The module could be enhanced with further detail and guidance; Wanting ongoing support.