The safety plan is a brief intervention method used in the treatment of self-harming patients, aimed at reducing the patient's risk of self-destructive behavior, such as suicide attempts or suicide.

The purpose of this thesis was to assess how the youth psychiatric ward's healthcare staff currently perceive the suitability of the safety plan for young individuals. The objective of the thesis was to generate information about the effectiveness of the safety plan in enhancing the safety of young individuals. The thesis was conducted in collaboration with The Wellbeing Services County of Southwest Finland. It was a qualitative study conducted through thematic interviews using a phenomenological approach. The data was categorized into lower, upper, and main categories through content analysis, from which the answers to the research questions were derived.

The interview results revealed that the safety plan, in its current form, was deemed inadequate for adolescents due to its outdated appearance and unclear questions. It was not perceived as sufficiently effective in preventing self-destructive behavior to be a valuable tool in supporting treatment. However, the safety plan was considered a useful tool for initiating conversations and giving young individuals something to think about, assisting them in developing new strategies for dealing with self-destructive behavior. Based on the interview findings, it could be concluded that a more effective way to encourage young individuals to use the safety plan in today's world would be through a digital mobile application, as smartphones are readily available to young people most of the time.