Self-harm and suicide present a major issue in the prison population (Harris et al, 2015, Hawton et al, 2014 & 2016). This presentation will present the findings of PhD research exploring what factors contribute towards self-harm and suicide, what works to prevent it, and what supports desistance from the perspectives of people in custody. This helps to inform effective ways for prison managers and staff to respond to incidents of self-harm and provide appropriate, helpful care. This PhD identified six themes relevant to self-harm and suicide in prisons, including 1. Nature of harm, 2. Risk Factors, 3. Link to Violence, 4. Factors contributing to self-harm and suicide, 5. Barriers to Support and 6. Protective Factors. This study offers both unique findings about the aetiology of self-harm and suicide (& it's repetition), the nature of self-harm and/or suicide; and the shared insights of prisoners about desistance.

Potential implications and future directions are considered for policy (e.g. trauma informed, recovery based model for mental health issues and substance use and a focus on prevention) and practice (e.g. enhanced family contact, structured activities and psychological therapies, and promoting a culture that instills hope, treats people with respect, courtesy and as individuals, making sure they feel that they matter and that we care about their rehabilitation and promoting a culture that embraces vulnerability), theory, and research. These findings are contextualised within the strengths (e.g. innovative methodology combining both self-harm and suicide, first qualitative study in Irish prisons, new data and limitations of this thesis).