The Impact of a Nursing Care Program Based on Human Caring Theory on Adolescents With Self-harm

The aim of this study is to examine the effect of a Nursing Care Program based on Human Caring Theory on self-esteem, coping, and self-compassion in adolescents exhibiting self-harming behavior. Hypotheses of the research: H1-a: The self-esteem level of adolescents exhibiting self-harm in the intervention group that received the Human Caring Theory-Based Nursing Care Program differed significantly from the control group. H1-b: The self-compassion level of adolescents exhibiting self-harm in the intervention group that received the Human Caring Theory-Based Nursing Care Program differed significantly from the control group. H1-c: The coping level of adolescents exhibiting self-harm in the intervention group that received the Human Caring Theory-Based Nursing Care Program differed significantly from the control group. This study is a randomized, controlled, single-blind experimental design. It will be conducted between March 2026 and March 2027 at the Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Diseases Outpatient Clinic of Antalya City Hospital with 48 adolescents (24 in the intervention group and 24 in the control group) who meet the inclusion criteria. The Human Caring Theory-Based Nursing Care Program will be applied individually and face-to-face to adolescents in the intervention group through structured therapeutic interviews. Data will be collected using a Personal Information Form, the Inventory of Statements About Self-injury, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the Coping Scale for Adolescents, and the Short Form of the Self-Compassion Scale. Data analysis will be performed using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) 31.0 software package. It is believed that the Human Caring Theory-Based Nursing Care Program may be effective in improving self-esteem, self-compassion, and coping skills in adolescents exhibiting self-harm behavior.

Inclusion Criteria: The study will include adolescents who: * are aged 14-18 years, * volunteer to participate in the study, and * have self-harm according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) diagnostic criteria. Exclusion Criteria: * Adolescents with speech, hearing, comprehension, or visual impairments, as well as those receiving psychosocial support during the research process, will not be included in the study. Sampling Exclusion Criteria: * Adolescents who did not participate in all interviews * Were admitted to the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry clinic for treatment during the research process, * Did not wish to continue participating in the interviews will be excluded from the study.