scholarly journals Research Status and the Prospect of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury Behavior

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 53
Author(s):  
Juan Chen ◽  
He Chen ◽  
Yuanyuan Jiang ◽  
Lingkai Ma

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI), also referred to as self-injurious behavior (SIB), are different terms to describe behaviors where the demonstrable injury is self-inflicted. The behavior involves deliberate tissue damage that is usually performed without suicidal intent. The term self-mutilation is also sometimes used, although this phrase evokes connotations that some find worrisome, inaccurate, or offensive. The diagnostic study of this behavior is controversial, and it needs to be further discussed with the definition criteria of suicide and borderline personality disorder. The pathologic mechanism of nssi behavior is proposed by several theoretical models, including the functional model, developmental pathologic model, and integrative model. In the future research, the research on the psychological evaluation intervention of nssi behavior should be widened, the factors affecting nssi can be further classified, and the cross-cultural research on nssi behavior and the applicability of existing foreign research achievements in China will also become the focus of future research.

CNS Spectrums ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Nina M. Lutz ◽  
Samuel R. Chamberlain ◽  
Ian M. Goodyer ◽  
Anupam Bhardwaj ◽  
Barbara J. Sahakian ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is prevalent among adolescents and research is needed to clarify the mechanisms which contribute to the behavior. Here, the authors relate behavioral neurocognitive measures of impulsivity and compulsivity to repetitive and sporadic NSSI in a community sample of adolescents. Methods Computerized laboratory tasks (Affective Go/No-Go, Cambridge Gambling Task, and Probabilistic Reversal Task) were used to evaluate cognitive performance. Participants were adolescents aged 15 to 17 with (n = 50) and without (n = 190) NSSI history, sampled from the ROOTS project which recruited adolescents from secondary schools in Cambridgeshire, UK. NSSI was categorized as sporadic (1-3 instances per year) or repetitive (4 or more instances per year). Analyses were carried out in a series of linear and negative binomial regressions, controlling for age, gender, intelligence, and recent depressive symptoms. Results Adolescents with lifetime NSSI, and repetitive NSSI specifically, made significantly more perseverative errors on the Probabilistic Reversal Task and exhibited significantly lower quality of decision making on the Cambridge Gambling Task compared to no-NSSI controls. Those with sporadic NSSI did not significantly differ from no-NSSI controls on task performance. NSSI was not associated with behavioral measures of impulsivity. Conclusions Repetitive NSSI is associated with increased behavioral compulsivity and disadvantageous decision making, but not with behavioral impulsivity. Future research should continue to investigate how neurocognitive phenotypes contribute to the onset and maintenance of NSSI, and determine whether compulsivity and addictive features of NSSI are potential targets for treatment.


2012 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 331-347 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer J. Muehlenkamp

Nonsuicidal self-injury among youth and young adults remains a challenging behavior for clinicians to treat. Etiological models of self-injury have laid a foundation for the development of effective treatments that focus on the intrapersonal and interpersonal regulating functions of the behavior but have failed to consider other mechanisms that may facilitate the initiation and maintenance of the self-injury. This article presents a theoretical argument that body disregard is a necessary factor to include in etiological conceptualizations of nonsuicidal self-injurious behavior as well as within treatment approaches. Empirical literature is reviewed to provide a solid basis for the tenant that body disregard facilitates self-injury. Suggestions for incorporating treatment strategies that address body-related factors are offered along with some directions for future research.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chelsea Evanna Boccagno ◽  
D.Phil. Jill Miranda Hooley

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a widespread and dangerous behavior. Despite increasing understanding of the risk factors for NSSI, this behavior remains highly prevalent, highlighting the need for an extension of current research and more precise treatment targets. Specifically, research examining self-perception in NSSI provides a fruitful foundation for future work. Mounting studies indicate that self-concept disturbances are implicated in NSSI. Yet it remains unclear how different components of self-concept—such as self-criticism and identity confusion—are associated for people with NSSI. Furthermore, research in this domain uses distinct definitions and measures of self-concept disturbance, rendering it difficult to integrate findings across studies. This conceptual review provides the first summary to date synthesizing research on self-concept (content and structure) in NSSI, highlights research questions to address, and outlines suggestions for future work. Recommendations for NSSI research examining self-concept include: (a) increasing the consistency of terms used; (b) examining relationships between self-concept content and structure; (c) exploring the extent to which measures of self-concept and identity tap into the same phenomena; (d) assessing self-concept across different levels of analysis; and (e) identifying treatment targets for distinct self-related disturbances (e.g., heightened self-criticism versus an inconsistent sense of self). Potential intervention targets are discussed.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Glenn Kiekens ◽  
Kealagh Robinson ◽  
Ruth Tatnell ◽  
Olivia J Kirtley

UNSTRUCTURED Although nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI)—deliberate damaging of body tissue without suicidal intent—is a behavior that occurs in interaction with real-world contexts, studying NSSI in the natural environment has historically been impossible. Recent advances in real-time monitoring technologies have revolutionized our ability to do exactly that, providing myriad research and clinical practice opportunities. In this viewpoint paper, we review new research pathways to improve our ability to understand, predict, and prevent NSSI, and provide critical perspectives on the responsibilities inherent to conducting real-time monitoring studies on NSSI. Real-time monitoring brings unique opportunities to advance scientific understanding about (1) the dynamic course of NSSI, (2) the real-time predictors thereof and ability to detect acute risk, (3) the ecological validity of theoretical models, (4) the functional mechanisms and outcomes of NSSI, and (5) the promotion of person-centered care and novel technology-based interventions. By considering the opportunities of real-time monitoring research in the context of the accompanying responsibilities (eg, inclusive recruitment, sound and transparent research practices, participant safety and engagement, measurement reactivity, researcher well-being and training), we provide novel insights and resources to open the black box of daily life in the next decade(s) of NSSI research.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kealagh Robinson ◽  
Marc Wilson

© 2020 american psychological association. Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is typically assessed using either single-item questionnaires or checklists of common behaviors, but preliminary research suggests that checklists produce higher lifetime prevalence rates. In 2 preregistered studies (combined n = 1,364), we tested whether memory cueing afforded by behavioral checklists accounts for this discrepancy. Participants reported their lifetime NSSI history using both a single-item and a checklist, with presentation order randomized across participants. Nearly a third of participants reported inconsistent NSSI histories on the 2 assessments, with participants 1.57 times more likely to report an NSSI history on a checklist than on a single-item. Counter to the memory account, this discrepancy was evident even when participants completed the checklist first, suggesting that the increased prevalence estimates captured by checklists are unlikely to simply reflect memory facilitation. Across the 2 samples, 12.5% of participants would have been incorrectly screened out in 2-step assessments; these participants were more likely to have engaged in NSSI historically, less likely to self-injure by cutting, and (in Study 2 only) were more likely to be men. These studies suggest that the inconsistencies across 2 of the most common NSSI assessments arise because people dissimilar to the lay conceptualization of self-injury are less likely to endorse a single-item, even when they have affirmed engaging in self-injury behaviors on a checklist. We argue that single-item and checklist assessments capture different aspects of NSSI, such that future research should distinguish between behaviorally identified NSSI assessed with behavioral checklists and self-identified NSSI assessed with single-item assessments.


Crisis ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Caitlin O'Loughlin ◽  
Taylor A. Burke ◽  
Brooke A. Ammerman

Abstract. Background: Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a strong predictor of suicide attempts (SA). Characteristics of NSSI have been shown to influence the NSSI–SA relationship; however, the temporal nature of this association is understudied. Aims: This study aimed to elucidate the NSSI-SA relationship by examining the association between NSSI characteristics and time lapsed from NSSI onset to first SA. Method: Participants were 111 individuals with a history of NSSI that preceded their first SA who completed a series of self-report measures. Results: NSSI methods of cutting and burning, and the anti-dissociation function, were associated with a shorter transition time from NSSI to SA. Earlier age of NSSI onset and the interpersonal boundaries function were related to a longer time to transition. Limitations: This sample size was limited, and data were collected cross-sectionally. Conclusion: Findings provide foundational knowledge regarding NSSI characteristics to inform theoretical models of the NSSI–SA association. This information can inform suicide risk assessments among those with a history of NSSI.


2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan D. Green ◽  
Jaclyn C. Kearns ◽  
Annie M. Ledoux ◽  
Michael E. Addis ◽  
Brian P. Marx

Several known risk factors for nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI), such as negative emotionality and deficits in emotion skills, are also associated with masculinity. Researchers and clinicians suggest that masculine norms around emotional control and self-reliance may make men more likely to engage in self-harm. Masculinity has also been implicated as a potential risk factor for suicide and other self-damaging behaviors. However, the association between masculinity and NSSI has yet to be explored. In the current study, a sample of 912 emerging adults from two universities in the Northeastern United States completed a web-based questionnaire assessing adherence to masculine norms, engagement in NSSI, and known risk factors for NSSI (demographics and number of self-injurers known). Stronger adherence to masculine norms predicted chronic NSSI (five or more episodes throughout the life span) above and beyond other known risk factors. Adherence to masculine norms was related to methods of NSSI. Clinical implications are discussed, including discussions of masculine norms in treatment settings. Future research should examine what specific masculine norms are most closely linked to NSSI and other self-damaging behaviors.


10.2196/30915 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. e30915
Author(s):  
Glenn Kiekens ◽  
Kealagh Robinson ◽  
Ruth Tatnell ◽  
Olivia J Kirtley

Although nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI)—deliberate damaging of body tissue without suicidal intent—is a behavior that occurs in interaction with real-world contexts, studying NSSI in the natural environment has historically been impossible. Recent advances in real-time monitoring technologies have revolutionized our ability to do exactly that, providing myriad research and clinical practice opportunities. In this viewpoint paper, we review new research pathways to improve our ability to understand, predict, and prevent NSSI, and provide critical perspectives on the responsibilities inherent to conducting real-time monitoring studies on NSSI. Real-time monitoring brings unique opportunities to advance scientific understanding about (1) the dynamic course of NSSI, (2) the real-time predictors thereof and ability to detect acute risk, (3) the ecological validity of theoretical models, (4) the functional mechanisms and outcomes of NSSI, and (5) the promotion of person-centered care and novel technology-based interventions. By considering the opportunities of real-time monitoring research in the context of the accompanying responsibilities (eg, inclusive recruitment, sound and transparent research practices, participant safety and engagement, measurement reactivity, researcher well-being and training), we provide novel insights and resources to open the black box of daily life in the next decade(s) of NSSI research.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kealagh Robinson ◽  
Marc Wilson

© 2020 american psychological association. Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is typically assessed using either single-item questionnaires or checklists of common behaviors, but preliminary research suggests that checklists produce higher lifetime prevalence rates. In 2 preregistered studies (combined n = 1,364), we tested whether memory cueing afforded by behavioral checklists accounts for this discrepancy. Participants reported their lifetime NSSI history using both a single-item and a checklist, with presentation order randomized across participants. Nearly a third of participants reported inconsistent NSSI histories on the 2 assessments, with participants 1.57 times more likely to report an NSSI history on a checklist than on a single-item. Counter to the memory account, this discrepancy was evident even when participants completed the checklist first, suggesting that the increased prevalence estimates captured by checklists are unlikely to simply reflect memory facilitation. Across the 2 samples, 12.5% of participants would have been incorrectly screened out in 2-step assessments; these participants were more likely to have engaged in NSSI historically, less likely to self-injure by cutting, and (in Study 2 only) were more likely to be men. These studies suggest that the inconsistencies across 2 of the most common NSSI assessments arise because people dissimilar to the lay conceptualization of self-injury are less likely to endorse a single-item, even when they have affirmed engaging in self-injury behaviors on a checklist. We argue that single-item and checklist assessments capture different aspects of NSSI, such that future research should distinguish between behaviorally identified NSSI assessed with behavioral checklists and self-identified NSSI assessed with single-item assessments.


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