Self-harm is a major public health problem, with more than 200,000 presentations to hospital emergency departments in England each year. 

The Manchester Self-Harm Project collects data on emergency department presentations for self-harm made to three local general hospitals: 

• Manchester Royal Infirmary (Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust) 
• Wythenshawe Hospital (Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust) 
• North Manchester General Hospital (Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust). 

Our work supports further research, clinical guideline development, and the creation of local and national self-harm and suicide prevention initiatives and strategies, including NICE guidance on self-harm (National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health 2004, 2011). 

National data opt-out 

The national data opt-out is a service that allows patients to stop their confidential patient information being used for any reason other than their own direct care.  

The work of the Manchester Self-Harm Project has been assessed as being in the public interest by the Confidentiality Advisory Group of the Health Research Authority. They have recommended that our project be allowed to continue collecting information on individuals even when they have decided to opt out of having their information shared.  

For more information, visit the data security and privacy page. 

On this page:

• News and updates
• Our research
• Reports
• Resources
• About us
• Core staff and associates
• Contact us

News and updates

Follow us on X (formerly Twitter) to see all of the latest updates from MaSH: @mashproject

• The collaborative team responsible for the Community-based Care work received a ‘Highly Commended Award for Outstanding Benefit to Society through Research’. Read more about this here
• Join us at the 7th Annual SSHaRe NoW Conference, at Liverpool John Moores University, 19th November 2024 (more details on the SSHaRe NoW page)
• Hear about our self-harm research at the Multi-Centre Study of Self-Harm in England and Storm Skills Training Conference, 27th November 2024 in Nottingham. View the flyer with more details here (PDF)

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Our research

We use data collected over many years to examine aspects of self-harm presentation and care. 

These include: 

• changes in rates over time 
• sub-groups who are at high risk for self-harm 
• the type of care that is the most effective for people who self-harm 
• outcomes such as repetition of self-harm. 

The Manchester Self-Harm Project has a strong history of publications in multiple high impact factor peer-reviewed journals, as well as participating in local, national and international events and conferences. You can view our publications in the University’s research explorer. 

Our findings are also communicated locally to service providers at clinical audit meetings, research and development forums and in the presentations to staff and medical students. 

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Reports

The Manchester Self-Harm Project reports 

Full report 

• The Manchester Self-Harm Project: Report 2012 to 2016 (PDF, 811KB) 

Infographics 

• The Manchester Self-Harm Project: Highlights of the 5 year report 2012 to 2016 (PDF, 962KB) 
• The Manchester Self-Harm Project: key figures from 2016 (PDF, 640KB) 
• The Manchester Self-Harm Project: key figures from 2015 (PDF, 650KB) 
• Manchester Self-Harm Project: Self-Harm in Children and adolescents, key figures from 2015 (PDF, 225KB) 
• The Manchester Self-Harm Project: Key figures from 2012-2014 (PDF, 485KB) 
• The Manchester Self-Harm Project is 20 years old this year (PDF, 1.8MB) 

Leaflets 

• NHS: Keep Safe leaflet (PDF, 246KB) 

Multicentre and other reports 

• Gunnell D, Hawton K, Bennewith O, Cooper J, Simkin S, Donovan J, et al. A multicentre programme of clinical and public health research in support of the National Suicide Prevention Strategy for England. Programme Grants Appl Res 2013;1(1) 

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Resources

Our data have informed local service providers to help them assess and manage risk of further self-harm and suicide. This has included their development of guidelines, handbooks and toolkit resources.

We are working with the National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Safety in Mental Health (NCISH) and the Patient Safety Translational Research Centre to support 12 areas in England to improve community-based services and care for people who self-harm.

As part of this work, we have developed the following online resource to collate links to evidence and guidance around self-harm.

Our Management of Self-Harm in the Emergency Department resource helps health professionals learn more about why people self-harm and how to help those who present to hospital emergency departments.

Suicide and Self-Harm Research North West (SSHaRe NoW) is a collaboration between The University of Central Lancashire, Liverpool John Moores University, The University of Manchester, the Manchester Self-Harm Project, the Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Trust and the NIHR Applied Research Collaborations (ARCs).

More resources

NICE recommendations

• Self-harm in over 8s: long-term management
• Self-harm in over 8s: short-term management and prevention of recurrence
• Self-harm quality standard (QS34)
• Self-harm: assessment, management and preventing recurrence (GID-NG10148)

Resources from the Manchester Self-Harm Project and NCISH

• Services for self-harm: A toolkit for self-assessment based on the NICE Quality Standard (PDF)

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About us

The Manchester Self-Harm Project was founded in 1997.

Our core aim is to build research capacity to help enhance the evidence base for and the profile of the field, to better meet its potential to support improved outcomes for people.

We are based at the Centre for Mental Health and Safety at The University of Manchester.  

Our collaborators

• Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust – For data collection.
• Multicentre Study of Self-harm in England – Working with similar studies based in Oxford and Derby.

Associated projects

• NIHR Greater Manchester Patient Safety Translational Research Centre (Greater Manchester PSTRC)
• National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Safety in Mental Health
• SSHaRe NoW

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Core staff and associates

The Manchester Self-Harm Project team are researchers and administrative staff based at The University of Manchester. Our associates work on projects related to our research.

Core staff

Our core staff work on the Manchester Self-Harm Studies. Other staff may work on individual projects or programmes being undertaken as a part of our work.

• Dr Caroline Clements (Project Manager/Research Fellow)
• Professor Nav Kapur (Professor of Psychiatry and Population Health)
• Harriet Bickley (Research Associate)
• Professor Louis Appleby CBE (Professor of Psychiatry, Director the Centre for Suicide Prevention)
• Jackie Ward (Research Administrator)
• Bradley O’Donovan (Research Administrator)

Associated staff

• Professor Roger Webb (Professor in Mental Health Epidemiology)
• Dr Leah Quinlivan (Research Fellow)
• Dr Sarah Steeg (Presidential Fellow (Research))

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Contact us

If you have a query about the activities of the Manchester Self-Harm Project, please get in touch.

The Manchester Self-Harm Project does not provide help, advice or counselling services. If you are in Manchester and need help or advice, please refer to the Keep Safe leaflet (PDF, 246KB).

Media and press enquiries

Mike Addelman (News and Media Relations Officer)
Tel: +44 (0)161 275 2111
Mobile: +44 (0)7717 881567
Email: michael.addelman@manchester.ac.uk

Other enquiries

Jackie Ward (Research Administrator)
Tel: +44 (0)161 275 0735
Email: mash@manchester.ac.uk

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