The donation of 100,000 kroner will be used to implement a project aimed at helping patients in the Psychiatric Department in Vejle manage self-harm urges through concrete coping strategies.

– This is a donation of great significance. Without these funds, we would not have been able to invest in the tools and materials we need for the project, says Martin, who, along with his colleague Kamilla, is behind the project 'Self-harm and Coping Strategies.'

They are employed as peer workers in a department with space for up to 90 patients. Both have personal experiences with mental illness, and today they use their knowledge and experience to help patients feel better.

– We can empathize with their situation because we have experienced powerlessness and a lack of control over our emotions. This means we can more easily create a safe and trusting relationship with the patients. In our daily work, we have conversations with the patients, and we get a sense of what coping strategy each individual needs, says Martin.

The project is based on evidence-based research. The goal is to prevent self-harm while also contributing to reducing the use of coercion.

– When patients feel the urge to self-harm, it's not enough for us to say: 'You shouldn't do that.' We need to provide them with an alternative. Here we use tactile coping strategies, which can include tangles or fidgets, small sensory tools that can be held and taken out when the urge to self-harm arises, says Martin.

Experience shows that this can help patients feel more in control of their own lives and gain more control over their thoughts and actions. In the long run, it will strengthen self-confidence and create hope that the urge to self-harm will diminish over time.

The project also includes a more long-term coping strategy based on hobby-oriented activities. The department already has creative offerings such as an art group and a knitting-crocheting café, and with the project, they aim to expand opportunities to include sports and music.

– As peer workers, we can help create the framework for activities where patients can meet and become part of a community that can bring meaning to life and a sense of not being alone, says Kamilla, who has been employed as a peer worker since 2024.

– We use our own lived experiences to support patients on their journey to feeling better. For me, it feels very meaningful to use some of the darkest moments in my life to create light for others, she says.

The project is planned to be continuously evaluated, and hopefully, the coping strategies proposed by the project will have a positive effect.