NERS NEWS — Surabaya, Wednesday, July 8, 2026 — The Alamanda Group of Professional Nursing students from the Faculty of Nursing, Universitas Airlangga, during their Psychiatric Nursing clinical rotation, conducted a Hospital Health Promotion (PKRS) program on “Self-Harm” at the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Outpatient Clinic (Polik Keswara) of RSJ Menur. The activity was designed for parents accompanying their children to the clinic, aiming to improve their understanding of self-harm behaviors among children and adolescents.
Self-harm refers to the intentional act of harming oneself without suicidal intent and is commonly observed among children and adolescents. Through this educational program, parents received information about the definition of self-harm, its signs and symptoms, contributing factors, potential impacts, initial management, and preventive strategies.
The educational session was delivered by six Professional Nursing students using leaflets as the primary educational medium. A total of 11 parents participated in the program and received the educational materials. Throughout the session, participants demonstrated strong enthusiasm by actively engaging in discussions and the question-and-answer session.
One parent asked how to respond to a child experiencing tantrums, ways to prevent self-harm, and whether a child who frequently bites their fingers due to bullying could be considered to be engaging in self-harm. These questions were addressed and discussed by the student team based on the educational material presented during the session.
The health education program was conducted interactively under the supervision of the clinical instructor, Mardliyah Hayati, S.Kep., Ns. Through this activity, parents were expected to better recognize the early warning signs of self-harm, provide appropriate emotional support to their children, and understand the appropriate steps to take if such behaviors are identified.
This PKRS activity also supports the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being, specifically Target 3.4, which focuses on promoting mental health and well-being through promotive, preventive, and educational interventions. It is hoped that this program will increase public awareness, particularly among parents, regarding the prevention of self-harm in children and adolescents while fostering a more supportive environment for children’s mental health.
Writer: Apriyanti Rambu Ngana
