Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) represents a significant mental health concern, particularly during the school years, which positions school staff as key actors in responding to such behaviors. This study aimed to explore Serbian school staff’s emotional reactions and needs related to NSSI, and develop a school-based NSSI protocol. A questionnaire was administered that included questions assessing participants’ demographic (e.g., gender, age, professional experience), work-related characteristics (e.g., job satisfaction, work stress level, perception of their profession’s reputation in society), as well as two open-ended questions addressing participants’ emotional reactions to NSSI and their related needs. The questionnaires were distributed online. A total of 556 school staff members from Serbia agreed to participate in the study and completed the questionnaire. In this study, the qualitative content analysis focused on participants’ (n=155) responses to the question regarding their emotional reactions to NSSI and to the question concerning their needs (n=438). Participants reported feeling worried and unprepared, and their primary needs centered on education about NSSI and guidelines for responding in such situations, which is consistent with previous research findings. Moreover, additional systemic issues within the Serbian educational context were identified, limiting the applicability of existing international guidelines. Drawing on both the literature and the present findings, a context-specific NSSI protocol for Serbian schools was developed.
Radanović et al. (Wed,) studied this question.