In this episode, Dr. Jonas Bjärehed from Lund University in Sweden walks us through his research on nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) that he began in 2007 as part of his dissertation project. For example, he shares high prevalence rates of NSSI in Sweden (~40%) and discusses gender differences of NSSI among adolescents in 2007 compared to 2023. He also explains the results of a 10-year longitudinal study in which he surveyed individuals as adolescents about their self-harm and then surveyed the same group as adults 10 years later. Learn more about Dr. Bjärehed's research here and connect with hi ..read more

In this episode, Dr. Amy Lucas from Speek Health in the United Kingdom talks about supporting siblings of those who engage in nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). How can parents and caregivers of those who self-injure determine if they should share that information with siblings? What should parents do or say if they learn that the one self-injuring has made their siblings promise not to tell their parents about their self-injury? How might the sibling’s age influence these decisions and conversations, and what if parents are worried that a sibling will pick up the same behavior from their brother ..read more

In 2013, the 5th edition of the Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) was released, and for the first time it included Nonsuicidal Self-Injury Disorder as a Condition for Further Study. It is not an actual diagnosis at this time, but there are  currently six criteria listed (see below, bottom of page). In this episode, Dr. Greg Lengel from Drake University in Iowa walks us through what research says about each of the six criteria, and he discusses the pros and cons of formalizing NSSI Disorder as a diagnosis. Listen to his interview with Dr. Brooke Ammerman from ..read more

What exactly constitutes nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI)? Dr. Brooke Ammerman from the University of Notre Dame and Dr. Greg Lengel from Drake University discuss the complexities of defining NSSI. They also describe the difference between deliberate self-harm and NSSI and share their research about what many clinicians, researchers, and people with lived experience tell them about what they think constitutes NSSI and how we should define it. Learn more about Dr. Ammerman and her work in the Affect, Suicide, Self-Injury, and Social Triggers (ASSIST) Lab at https://assistlab.nd.edu/.  L ..read more

The term "self-harm" is an umbrella term, encompassing a broad range of behaviors, under which is included substance abuse and misuse, eating disorders, suicide, and nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). In this episode, Dr. Brianna Turner from the University of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada discusses how often self-damaging behaviors, including risky sex, financial and physical recklessness, co-occur with NSSI and where NSSI fits within the umbrella of self-harming behaviors. She also simplifies research using structural models of self-damaging behaviors in a way that helps us understand the ..read more

In this episode, Allison details her experience of engaging in nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) beginning in 9th grade and into her 20's. She explains the complex relationship she and many others have with their self-harm scars and discusses how her husband has supported her when she has self-injured. She also shares about how she makes sense of her scars in the context of her faith as a Christian. Read her To Write Love On Her Arms (TWLOHA) blog, "You are so much more than your pain," at https://twloha.com/blog/more-than-your-pain/.  Follow Dr. Westers on Instagram and Twitt ..read more

Up to 1 in 5 (20%) individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and about 3 in 7 (42%) individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) engage in self-injurious behavior (SIB). Common forms of SIB include repetitive head banging, head-hitting, self-biting, self-hitting, eye-poking, skin-picking, and trichotillomania (hair pulling), among other forms of self-harm. In this episode, Caroline Roberts from the University of Minnesota and Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain discusses the differences and similarities between SIB and nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) and how w ..read more

What is the relationship between nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) and pain? Are individuals who self-injure less sensitive to pain than those who don’t self-injure? What are the ethics involved in conducting research on pain? In this episode, Dr. Julian Koenig describes the research on the experience of pain among those who self-harm. Learn more about Dr. Koenig and his research lab at www.koeniglab.de, and follow him on Twitter/X at @koeniglab. Below are links to some of the research referenced in this episode: Koenig, J., Thayer, J. F., & Kaess, M. (2016). A meta-analysis on pain sen ..read more

Amidst a global youth mental health crisis, is it possible that many young people are simply experiencing typical adolescent development challenges but are using mental health language to describe their distress? Even to the degree of experiencing crises that include self-harm like nonsuicidal self-injury and suicidal thoughts and behaviors? In this episode, Drs. Maria Papadima and Rachel Acheson share observations from their clinical work with youth, consider trends such as self-diagnosing through TikTok and Instagram, discuss how they walk parents and youth through these mental health crises ..read more

Approximately 1-4% of people throughout the world experience obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Individuals with OCD are more likely than those without OCD to engage in nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI), and recent research has shown that, among those who self-injure, having a diagnosis of OCD predicts more severe self-injury. In this episode, licensed clinical social worker and OCD expert Nathan Peterson explains how he differentiates nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) from Self-Harm OCD, which is just one of many subtypes of OCD and one in which a person experiences intrusive thoughts or mental i ..read more