Study Status: Recruiting
Recruit Status: Recruiting
Study Type: Interventional
Official Title: Feasibility and Acceptability of Medical Skin Camouflage for Recovery of Women With Self-Harm Scarring in Prison
Brief Summary:
Women prisoners are more likely to commit suicide or self-harm than women in the community or male prisoners.
Healthcare services have improved how they manage self-harm in the community and prisons. However, there has been little focus on the recovery of people with self-harm scars. Medical skin camouflage (MSC) is a British National Formulary-listed topical cream designed to cover skin conditions. Research on MSC has focused on its use with non-self-harm marks e.g. burns. The evidence from this research suggests that the cream helps women feel better and do more activities. There is little/no evidence about the effects of the preparation for women who self-harm and for prisoners.
This research was funded by the National Institute for Health Research Research for Patient Benefit Programme. In the research the investigators will examine whether it is possible and practical to use MSC in prison. The investigators will ask prisoners and staff what they think about the cream. The research has four parts. In the first part the investigators will talk to groups of people from the prison about the best way to use the cream and how to measure its effects. In the second part the investigators will design a programme for the MSC application. The investigators will then train prisoners to apply the cream. The final part will involve 20 people using MSC for six weeks. The investigators will measure their mood, thoughts of self-harm and wellbeing before and after they use MSC. The investigators will compare these results with 20 people who have not used MSC (control group). All women taking part will be placed at random into the control or the treatment group. The control group will receive the cream after the research has ended.
Potential benefits of this study may be an increase in s