EXAMINATION OF INTENTIONAL SELF-HARM IN CULTURALLY AND LINGUISTICALLY DIVERSE (CALD) COMMUNITIES

Given the fact that Australia is one of the most multicultural countries in the world, the examination of intentional self-harm in culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities in the country is needed to provide evidence-based recommendations to inform self-harm prevention strategies. The thesis found CALD backgrounds to be negatively associated with self-harm hospital admission, repeat self-harm, and suicide. Also, several cultural factors possibly might discourage self-harm patients from seeking healthcare for self-harm, suggesting self-harm incidences recorded in hospital data might be underestimated. Future actions are needed to improve healthcare service provisions after self-harm for CALD people to prevent repeat self-harm and suicide.