News Finding: Risk scales are used widely by clinicians in the management of patients attending hospital following self-harm, while they are not suitable for the purpose of predicting repeat self-harm or suicide. Recently published in #BMCPsychiatry
  
Paper Finding: For example, randomised controlled trials could combine structured risk assessment with other aspects of care, such as comprehensive follow-up planning or building therapeutic alliance.
News Context: Risk scales are used widely by clinicians in the management of patients attending hospital following self-harm, while they are not suitable for the purpose of predicting repeat self-harm or suicide. Recently published in #BMCPsychiatry
  
Paper Context: Given that scales continue to be widely used by clinicians, future studies could consider if they could be combined with other approaches to increase their effectiveness. For example, randomised controlled trials could combine structured risk assessment with other aspects of care, such as comprehensive follow-up planning or building therapeutic alliance. Further studies of this kind could help to determine aspects of risk scales that might be useful in the management of self-harm.