Role of primary care in supporting older adults who self-harm: a qualitative study in England

<jats:sec><jats:title>Background</jats:title><jats:p>Self-harm and suicide are major public health concerns. Self-harm is the strongest risk factor for suicide, with the highest suicide rates reported in older populations. Little is known about how older adults access care following self-harm, but they are in frequent contact with primary care.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Aim</jats:title><jats:p>To identify and explore barriers and facilitators to accessing care within primary care for older adults who self-harm.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Design and setting</jats:title><jats:p>An exploratory qualitative methods study using semi-structured interviews with older adults and third-sector workers in England. Older adults were invited to participate in one follow-up interview.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Method</jats:title><jats:p>Interviews occurred between September 2017 and September 2018. These were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and data analysed thematically. A patient and public involvement and engagement group contributed to the study design, data analysis, and interpretation.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results</jats:title><jats:p>A total of 24 interviews with nine older adults and seven support workers, including eight follow-up interviews with older adults, were conducted. Three themes emerged: help-seeking decision factors; sources of support; and barriers and facilitators to accessing primary care.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusion</jats:title><jats:p>Despite older adults’ frequent contact with GPs, barriers to primary care existed, which included stigma, previous negative experiences, and practical barriers such as mobility restrictions. Older adults’ help-seeking behaviour was facilitated by previous positive experiences. Primary care is a potential avenue for delivering effective self-harm support, management, and suicide prevention in older adults. Given the complex nature of self-harm, there is a need for primary care to work with other sectors to provide comprehensive support to older adults who self-harm.</jats:p></jats:sec>