The meaning of self-neglect: understanding the perspective of people who self-neglect project

‘Self neglect’ is a contested concept often applied to individuals by professionals who use it to refer to situations in which people do not care for their own health and wellbeing. Self-neglect is often associated with mental health problems, including substance abuse, dementia, and depression. Those at risk include persons with physical or mental impairments.

Despite an increasing knowledge base on the extent of self-neglect at national and international levels, it is a poorly understood concept. One of the most obvious omissions from the literature is the meaning self-neglecters attach to behaviors typically associated with self-neglect such as excessive hoarding.  There are no evidence-based treatment guidelines or specifically developed interventions for this client group. In addition, with a few exceptions, a handful of studies worldwide have attempted to understand the self-neglecters perspective, how they view services and how these can be constructed to produce more user-friendly services.

The aim of this project is to provide an opportunity for the voices of people who self-neglect to be incorporated into service delivery.

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