In June 2017, we held the first SSHaRe NoW conference where we held thirty-minute discussions relating to suicide and self-harm in the following populations:

• offenders
• children and young people
• self-harm and suicidal ideation in the community
• crisis intervention services.

The discussions explored the main issues within these populations, and looked at the gaps in our understanding, what we could do differently, and how we should begin designing future work.

The seven facilitators then reviewed the outcomes and conducted an analysis on the themes that emerged from all of the discussion tables. From this, they designed an online template questionnaire for which they obtained ethical approval from LJMU Research Ethics Committee.

To be eligible for inclusion in the study, participants met one of the following criteria:

• Conducts research in the area of suicide and self-harm;
• Experience of working in a 3rd sector organisation that supports or helps individuals struggling with suicide or self-harm (including services set-up for carers);
• Experience of working as a clinician within the NHS supporting or helping individuals with difficulties around suicide or self-harm; or
• Personal experience of difficulties associated with suicide and self-harm.

Of the participants identified:

• 21% were clinicians
• 33% were academics or researchers
• 7% worked for local authorities
• 9% worked in the 3rd or voluntary sectors
• 2% were carers
• 5% were students
• 23% did not fall into any single category.

Of the initial cohort, 19% had a history of self-harm.

An email was sent to 148 potential participants to outline the study and invite them to take part.

The email included a participant information sheet, information about the study, a link to an online survey, and a consent box to tick before taking part.

We required the informed consent of participants in order to complete the second and third round of the Delphi exercise.

After each round, participants were informed of the ranking of each research priority and asked to repeat the process.

Of the 148 potential participants, 30% engaged in Round 1, of whom 74% were female and 19% had a history of self-harm.

Of these, 50% engaged in Round 2, of whom again 74% were female, but the proportion with a history of self-harm increased to 30%.

Round 3 is ongoing.

73% of participants in Round 2 thought it is important to understand different ways to build resilience in children and young people, to help reduce self-harm and suicide.

68% of participants in Round 2 thought it is important to evaluate different interventions (for example, talking therapies, support groups, mobile/computer applications) for children and young people who self-harm to find out what is most effective.

64% of participants in Round 2 thought it is important to understand the positive and negative impact of social media on self-harm and suicide, and how social media might be used to help children and young people in distress.

77% of participants in Round 2 thought it is important to evaluate existing services to find out what works well, what services or interventions are having the greatest impact, and if they are cost effective.

68% of participants in Round 2 thought it is important to understand how health care and other support services work together and interact to support people who are at risk for self-harm and suicide.

59% of participants in Round 2 thought it is important to understand the relationship between lack of staff/resources/ funding in health care services and the level of demand for people who self-harm.

77% of participants in Round 2 thought it is important that training is provided to professionals who might be in contact with people who self-harm (for example, GPs, nurses, teachers, and staff at community centres).

64% of participants in Round 2 thought more research is needed on the effectiveness of postvention services in reducing self-harm, suicidal ideation, anxiety, depression, blame and grief intensity.

59% of participants in Round 2 thought it is important to understand the functions and mechanisms behind self-harm (for example, what causes people to self-harm), and to ensure that mental health services understand these causes.