This article discusses how an integrated physical, psychological and social approach to wound care can help improve the quality of life for people who self-injure. The health professional should demonstrate compassion while teaching the person who self-injures how to provide their own wound care. Compassionate care may help the patient improve their self-compassion and reduce shame associated with this coping strategy, which may in turn avoid exacerbating self-harm when seeking healthcare.

Gillian Rayner - Principal Lecturer in Counselling and Psychotherapy, University of Central Lancashire

Joanna Blackburn - Research Fellow, Institute for Skin Integrity and Infection Prevention, University of Huddersfield

Karen Ousey - Lead of the Institute for Skin Integrity and Infection Prevention, University of Huddersfield