The donation of DKK 100,000 will be used to implement a project designed to help patients at the Psychiatric Department in Vejle cope with self-harming urges through specific coping strategies.

"This is a very significant donation. Without these funds, we would not have been able to invest in the tools and materials we need for the project," says Martin, who, together with his colleague Kamilla, is behind the project "Self-harm and coping strategies."

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

"We can empathize with their situation because we ourselves have experienced powerlessness and a lack of control over our emotions. This means that it is easier for us to establish a safe and trusting relationship with patients. In our daily work, we talk to patients and get a sense of the coping strategy that each individual needs," Martin explains.

The project is based on evidence-based studies. The goal is to prevent self-harm and at the same time contribute to reducing the use of coercion.

When patients feel the urge to self-harm, it is not enough for us to say, "You mustn't do that." We have to give them an alternative. Here, we use tactile coping strategies, which can include tangles or fidgets, for example, which are small sensory tools that you can hold in your hand and take out when the urge to self-harm arises, explains Martin.

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

The project also includes a longer-term coping strategy based on hobby-oriented activities. The department already offers creative activities such as an art group and a knitting and crocheting café, and the project aims to expand the opportunities to include sports and music, for example.

"As peer workers, we can help create a framework for activities where patients can meet and become part of a community that can give meaning to their lives and a feeling 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 recovery. For me, it feels very meaningful to use some of the darkest moments of my life to bring light to others," she says.

According to the plan, the project will be evaluated on an ongoing basis, and hopefully the coping strategies proposed by the project will have a positive effect.