JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Self-harm is common among adolescents and is a major public health concern. School staff may be the first adults to notice a young person’s self-harm and are well placed to provide support or signpost students to help. However, school staff often report that they do not feel equipped or confident to support students. Despite the need, there is a lack of evidence-based training about self-harm for school staff. A web-based training program would provide schools with a flexible and cost-effective method of increasing staff knowledge, skills and confidence in how to respond to students who self-harm.

Objective:

The main objective of this study was to co-produce an evidence-based training program for schools to improve their skills and confidence in responding to students who self-harm (SORTS). This paper describes the design and development process of an initial prototype, co-produced with stakeholders to ensure the intervention meets their requirements.

Methods:

Using a user-centered design and person-based approach, the SORTS prototype was informed by (1) a review of research literature, existing guidelines and policies; (2) co-production discussions with the technical provider and subject matter experts (mental health, education and self-harm) (3) findings from focus groups with young people (4) co-production workshops with school staff. Thematic analysis using the Framework Method was applied.

Results:

Co-production sessions with experts and the technical provider enabled us to produce a draft of the training content, an interactive wireframe and example high-fidelity user interface (UI) designs. Analysis of focus groups and workshops generated 4 key themes: (1) need for training program, (2) acceptability, practicality and implementation design, (3) design, content and navigation, and (4) adaptations and improvements. The findings showed that there is a clear need for a web-based training program about self-harm in schools, and the proposed program content and design was useful, practical, and acceptable. Consultations with stakeholders informed the iterative development of the prototype.

Conclusions:

SORTS is a web-based training program for school staff to appropriately respond to students who self-harm, which is based on research evidence and developed in collaboration with stakeholders. SORTS will equip school staff with the skills and strategies to respond in a supportive way to students who self-harm and encourage schools to adopt a whole-school approach to self-harm. Further research is needed to complete the intervention development based on the feedback from this study and to evaluate the program’s effectiveness. If found to be effective, SORTS could be implemented in schools and other youth organisations.