any attempt at self-injury or self-poisoning, as often occurs in the context of acute stress, personality disorder, depression, and alcoholism. It may or may not involve suicidal intent. Treatment begins with a psychosocial assessment, on the basis of which the patient may be offered various forms of *psychotherapy and occasionally *antipsychotic medication, *lithium, or *SSRIs. If the attempt is serious, immediate treatment may be necessary in a medical ward or (more rarely), if suicidal intent persists, in a psychiatric ward. Patients who do not have a mental disorder should be assessed using the criteria set out in the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and, if found to have *capacity, are entitled to consent to or refuse treatment like any other capacitous adult. See also suicide.
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