In this episode, Dr. Moye Xin from Xi'an University in the Shaanxi Province of central China discusses how nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is viewed in Asia and shares his thoughts about how gender role conflict may affect rates of self-harm among university students, particularly young Chinese men. Connect with Dr. Xin on ResearchGate at www.researchgate.net/profile/Moye-Xin or visit his work on SciProfiles at sciprofiles.com/profile/1469611. 

Below are a few of his research studies referenced in this episode:

1. Xin, M., Petrovic, J., Yang, C., Zhang L., & Yang, X. (2024). Nonsuicidal self-injury among Chinese university students during the post-COVID-19 era: analysis of sex differences and the impact of gender role conflict. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1362762.
2. Xin, M., Zhang, L., Yang, C., Yang, X., and Xiang, M. (2022). Risky or protective? Online social support's impact on nssi amongst Chinese youth experiencing stressful life events. BMC Psychiatry, 22, 782.
3. Yang, X., & Xin, M. (2018). "Boy crisis" or "girl risk"? The gender difference in nonsuicidal self-injurious behavior among middle-school students in China and its relationship to gender role conflict and violent experiences. American Journal of Men's Health, 12(5), 1275–1285.

Want to have a bigger role on the podcast?:

1. Should you or someone you know be interviewed on the podcast? We want to know! Please fill out this Google doc form, and we will be in touch with more details if it’s a good fit.
2. Want to hear your question and have it answered on the podcast? Please send an audio clip of your question (60 seconds or less) to @DocWesters on Instagram or Twitter/X, or email us at [email protected]
3. Want to be involved in research? Send us a message at [email protected] and we will see if we can match you to an active study.
4. Want to interact with us through comments and polls? You can on Spotify!

Follow Dr. Westers on Instagram and Twitter/X (@DocWesters). To join ISSS, visit itriples.org and follow ISSS on Facebook and Twitter/X (@ITripleS).

The Psychology of Self-Injury podcast has been rated as one of the "10 Best Self Harm Podcasts" and "20 Best Clinical Psychology Podcasts" by Feedspot  and one of the Top 100 Psychology Podcasts by Goodpods. It has also been featured in Audible's "Best Mental Health Podcasts to Defy Stigma and Begin to Heal."

In this episode, Ben Moroski from Los Angeles, CA, shares his story of lived experience of self-injury that began at age 17 when he and his family found themselves in a religious cult. He articulately communicates therapeutic gems he has learned throughout his journey of recovery while remaining honest with how he manages persisting urges to self-harm. Watch his autobiographical solo one man play about his struggle with self-injury at https://vimeo.com/107909913, and follow him on Instagram @bmoroski.

Want to have a bigger role on the podcast?:

1. Should you or someone you know be interviewed on the podcast? We want to know! Please fill out this Google doc form, and we will be in touch with more details if it’s a good fit.
2. Want to hear your question and have it answered on the podcast? Please send an audio clip of your question (60 seconds or less) to @DocWesters on Instagram or Twitter/X, or email us at [email protected]
3. Want to be involved in research? Send us a message at [email protected] and we will see if we can match you to an active study.
4. Want to interact with us through comments and polls? You can on Spotify!

Follow Dr. Westers on Instagram and Twitter/X (@DocWesters). To join ISSS, visit itriples.org and follow ISSS on Facebook and Twitter/X (@ITripleS).

The Psychology of Self-Injury podcast has been rated as one of the "10 Best Self Harm Podcasts" and "20 Best Clinical Psychology Podcasts" by Feedspot  and one of the Top 100 Psychology Podcasts by Goodpods. It has also been featured in Audible's "Best Mental Health Podcasts to Defy Stigma and Begin to Heal."

In this episode, Dr. Sylvanna Mirichlis from Curtin University in Perth, Australia, and ISSS Past President Dr. Stephen Lewis from the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada share about the origins of the annual March 1st Self-Injury Awareness Day (SIAD), what people around the world are doing as part of this day, and what our ISSS Stigma, Recovery, and Lived Experience Special Interest Group is doing to boost awareness of self-injury. We also share some of our favorite clips from past episodes. 

Self-Injury Resources:

1. International Society for the Study of Self-Injury (ISSS) (https://itriples.org/
2. Self-injury Outreach & Support (SiOS) (http://sioutreach.org/)
3. Cornell's Self-Injury & Recovery Resources (SIRR) (www.selfinjury.bctr.cornell.edu)
4. Shedding Light on Self-Injury (https://www.self-injury.org.au/)
5. Lewis, S. P., & Hasking, P. A. (2023). Understanding self-injury: A person-centered approach. Oxford University Press.
6. To watch Dr. Lewis' TEDx talk about his own lived experience of self-injury on YouTube, visit https://youtu.be/G17iMOw0ar8.

Timestamps for clips from past episodes:

• 37:37 - Lived experience: Kirsty's story of self-injury & advocacy (Season 2, Episode 30)
• 43:41 - Psychologists with lived experience of self-injury, with Dr. Sarah Victor (Season 1, Episode 9)
• 45:25 - Self-injury stigma and language, with Dr. Penelope Hasking (Season 1, Episode 4)
• 48:26 - Lived experience: Thomas' story of self-injury & gender dysphoria (Season 4, Episode 48)
• 52:48 - Self-harm across cultures, with Dr. Marc Wilson (Season 2, Episode 24)
• 56:39 - The psychology of self-injury scarring, with Dr. Taylor Burke (Season 2, Episode 31)
• 1:01:52 - A dad & daughter discuss her lived experience of self-harm (Season 3, Episode 37)
• 1:15:15 - Parenting youth who self-injure, with Dr. Janis Whitlock (Season 1, Episode 3)
• 1:23:49 - Supporting siblings of individuals who self-harm, with Dr. Amy Lucas (Season 4, Episode 46)

Want to have a bigger role on the podcast?:

1. Should you or someone you know be interviewed on the podcast? We want to know! Please fill out this Google doc form, and we will be in touch with more details if it’s a good fit.
2. Want to hear your question and have it answered on the podcast? Please send an audio clip of your question (60 seconds or less) to @DocWesters on Instagram or Twitter/X, or email us at [email protected]
3. Want to be involved in research? Send us a message at [email protected] and we will see if we can match you to an active study.
4. Want to interact with us through comments and polls? You can on Spotify!

Follow Dr. Westers on Instagram and Twitter/X (@DocWesters). To join ISSS, visit itriples.org and follow ISSS on Facebook and Twitter/X (@ITripleS).

The Psychology of Self-Injury podcast has been rated as one of the "10 Best Self Harm Podcasts" and "20 Best Clinical Psychology Podcasts" by Feedspot  and one of the Top 100 Psychology Podcasts by Goodpods. It has also been featured in Audible's "Best Mental Health Podcasts to Defy Stigma and Begin to Heal."

In this episode, Spencer Ellison and Dr. Jennifer Muehlenkamp read a hypothetical case vignette of a client who engages in nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI), has experienced suicidal thoughts or behaviors, or is experiencing significant depression. They then tell us how willing therapists are to treat each case (self-injury vs. suicide vs. depression), if therapists would accept them into their clinical practice, and if it depends on the therapists' (1) liability concerns, (2) comfort/skill confidence to treat self-harm, (3) attitude toward self-harm in general, and (4) attitude towards clients who self-harm.

Learn more about Dr. Muehlenkamp at her University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire faculty page here, and see her growing list of peer-reviewed publications on Google Scholar here. Learn more about Trinity Equestrian Center at www.trinity-ec.com. Below are a couple research studies referenced in this episode:

1. Levi-Belz, Y., Barzilay, S., Levy, D., & David, O. (2020). To treat or not to treat: The effect of hypothetical patients' suicidal severity on therapists' willingness to treat. Archives of Suicide Research, 24(3), 355-366.
2. Groth, T., & Boccio, D. E. (2019). Psychologists’ willingness to provide services to individuals at risk of suicide. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 49(5), 1241-1254.

Want to have a bigger role on the podcast?:

1. Should you or someone you know be interviewed on the podcast? We want to know! Please fill out this Google doc form, and we will be in touch with more details if it’s a good fit.
2. Want to hear your question and have it answered on the podcast? Please send an audio clip of your question (60 seconds or less) to @DocWesters on Instagram or Twitter/X, or email us at [email protected]
3. Want to be involved in research? Send us a message at [email protected] and we will see if we can match you to an active study.
4. Want to interact with us through comments and polls? You can on Spotify!

Follow Dr. Westers on Instagram and Twitter/X (@DocWesters). To join ISSS, visit itriples.org and follow ISSS on Facebook and Twitter/X (@ITripleS).

The Psychology of Self-Injury podcast has been rated as one of the "10 Best Self Harm Podcasts" and "20 Best Clinical Psychology Podcasts" by Feedspot  and one of the Top 100 Psychology Podcasts by Goodpods. It has also been featured in Audible's "Best Mental Health Podcasts to Defy Stigma and Begin to Heal."

Goodpods Top 100 Parents Podcasts Listen now to The Psychology of Self-Injury: Exploring
Self-Harm & Mental Health podcast 

Goodpods Top 100 Research Podcasts Listen now to The Psychology of Self-Injury: Exploring
Self-Harm & Mental Health podcast 

What is paramedical tattooing and scar camouflage and how is it different than other treatments for self-injury scars? Not everyone with lived experience of nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) wants or needs to address self-harm scars, but some may choose to reduce or get rid of them as part of their recovery journey. Elena from Illusions by Ink Studio (https://illusionsbyinkstudio.com/) walks us through her approach to paramedical tattooing for self-injury. Her client "H" joins the conversation, sharing her experience as someone with lived experience of NSSI and why she chose this type of tattooing for her self-injury scars.

Connect with Elena on Instagram @illusionsbyink_studio, on Facebook here, and on YouTube @Scarcamouflagetattoo. You can reach her at [email protected]. Below are a couple papers referenced in this episode:

1. Allroggen, M., Kleinrahm, R., Rau, T. A. D., Weninger, L., Ludolph, A. G., & Plener, P. L. (2014). Nonsuicidal self-injury and its relation to personality traits in medical students. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 202(4), 300-304.
2. Plener, P. L., Brunner, R., Fegert, J. M., Groschwitz, R. C., In-Albon, T., Kaess, M., Kapusta, N. D., Resch, F., & Becker, K. (2016). Treating nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) in adolescents: consensus based German guidelines. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health, 10(46).

Want to have a bigger role on the podcast?:

1. Should you or someone you know be interviewed on the podcast? We want to know! Please fill out this Google doc form, and we will be in touch with more details if it’s a good fit.
2. Want to hear your question and have it answered on the podcast? Please send an audio clip of your question (60 seconds or less) to @DocWesters on Instagram or Twitter/X, or email us at [email protected]
3. Want to be involved in research? Send us a message at [email protected] and we will see if we can match you to an active study.
4. Want to interact with us through comments and polls? You can on Spotify!

Follow Dr. Westers on Instagram and Twitter/X (@DocWesters). To join ISSS, visit itriples.org and follow ISSS on Facebook and Twitter/X (@ITripleS).

The Psychology of Self-Injury podcast has been rated as one of the "10 Best Self Harm Podcasts" and "20 Best Clinical Psychology Podcasts" by Feedspot  and one of the Top 100 Psychology Podcasts by Goodpods. It has also been featured in Audible's "Best Mental Health Podcasts to Defy Stigma and Begin to Heal."

Goodpods Top 100 Parents Podcasts Listen now to The Psychology of Self-Injury: Exploring
Self-Harm & Mental Health podcast 

Goodpods Top 100 Research Podcasts Listen now to The Psychology of Self-Injury: Exploring
Self-Harm & Mental Health podcast 

In this episode, Ellie from the United Kingdom and National Health Service (NHS) shares her lived experience of atypical severe self-injury while participating in a psychiatric inpatient stay for an acute increase in severity of eating disorder symptoms. She discusses how she has used her experiences as a patient and recipient of mental healthcare in the UK to bring about systemic change, participate as a co-producer and research, and advocate for those with lived experience of nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) and self-harm.  While participating in our interview while in inpatient care, we invite her live-in care provider (i.e., carer), Shami, to join our conversation and offer her own insights.

Connect with Ellie on LinkedIn here and on Twitter/X @EllieWildbore or @elliewildbore.bsky.social.  Visit her blog at https://balancingontheborderline.home.blog/. Here are two links to Ellie being interviewed about lived experience research and her work on YouTube with the Mental Elf: https://youtu.be/HezHKYrF7zM and https://youtu.be/IA91M6fGaQo. Read the pre-print of her article referenced in this episode available for free here. Learn more about Atypical Severe Self-Injury by listening to our episode with Dr. Barry Walsh on the topic from Season 1 here. 

Want to have a bigger role on the podcast?:

1. Should you or someone you know be interviewed on the podcast? We want to know! Please fill out this Google doc form, and we will be in touch with more details if it’s a good fit.
2. Want to hear your question and have it answered on the podcast? Please send an audio clip of your question (60 seconds or less) to @DocWesters on Instagram or Twitter/X, or email us at [email protected]
3. Want to be involved in research? Send us a message at [email protected] and we will see if we can match you to an active study.
4. Want to interact with us through comments and polls? You can on Spotify!

Follow Dr. Westers on Instagram and Twitter/X (@DocWesters). To join ISSS, visit itriples.org and follow ISSS on Facebook and Twitter/X (@ITripleS).

The Psychology of Self-Injury podcast has been rated as one of the "10 Best Self Harm Podcasts" and "20 Best Clinical Psychology Podcasts" by Feedspot  and one of the Top 100 Psychology Podcasts by Goodpods. It has also been featured in Audible's "Best Mental Health Podcasts to Defy Stigma and Begin to Heal."

Goodpods Top 100 Parents Podcasts Listen now to The Psychology of Self-Injury: Exploring
Self-Harm & Mental Health podcast 

Goodpods Top 100 Research Podcasts Listen now to The Psychology of Self-Injury: Exploring
Self-Harm & Mental Health podcast 

In this episode, Maryam Gholamrezaei, PhD, C.Psych, shares about her interviews with racially and ethnically diverse individuals who self-injure, including their responses to her question, “In your culture, what is the general response to people who engage in self-harming behaviors?” She also discusses gender differences in nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) among different ethnic groups and offers unique insights into how the geopolitical landscape of the Middle East may influence an individual's decision to self-harm.

Learn more about Dr. Gholamrezaei on her website at https://drmaryamgholamrezaei.ca/. Below are some publications written by Dr. Gholamrezaei as well as Dr. Westers' editorial:

1. Gholamrezaei, M., Heath, N. L., Pereira, L., De Stefano, J., & Böke, B. N. (2023). Nonsuicidal self-injury, mental health service use, and cultural perspectives among ethnically diverse university students. Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health, 42(1), 15-40.
2. Gholamrezaei, M., De Stefano, J., & Heath, N. L. (2017). Nonsuicidal self-injury across cultures and ethnic and racial minorities: A review. International Journal of Psychology, 52(4), 316–326.
3. Gholamrezaei, M., Heath, N., & Panaghi, L. (2016). Non-suicidal self-injury in a sample of university students in Tehran, Iran: prevalence, characteristics and risk factors. International Journal of Culture and Mental Health, 10(2), 136–149.
4. Westers, N. J. (2024). Cultural interpretations of nonsuicidal self-injury and suicide: Insights from around the world. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 29(4), 1231-1235.

Want to have a bigger role on the podcast?:

1. Should you or someone you know be interviewed on the podcast? We want to know! Please fill out this Google doc form, and we will be in touch with more details if it’s a good fit.
2. Want to hear your question and have it answered on the podcast? Please send an audio clip of your question (60 seconds or less) to @DocWesters on Instagram or Twitter/X, or email us at [email protected]
3. Want to be involved in research? Send us a message at [email protected] and we will see if we can match you to an active study.
4. Want to interact with us through comments and polls? You can on Spotify!

Follow Dr. Westers on Instagram and Twitter/X (@DocWesters). To join ISSS, visit itriples.org and follow ISSS on Facebook and Twitter/X (@ITripleS).

The Psychology of Self-Injury podcast has been rated as one of the "10 Best Self Harm Podcasts" and "20 Best Clinical Psychology Podcasts" by Feedspot  and one of the Top 100 Psychology Podcasts by Goodpods. It has also been featured in Audible's "Best Mental Health Podcasts to Defy Stigma and Begin to Heal."

Goodpods Top 100 Parents Podcasts Listen now to The Psychology of Self-Injury: Exploring
Self-Harm & Mental Health podcast 

Goodpods Top 100 Research Podcasts Listen now to The Psychology of Self-Injury: Exploring
Self-Harm & Mental Health podcast 

Does the emotion someone experiences immediately preceding an episode of nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) influence how painful that episode of self-harm feels? In this episode, Michelle Hiner, MS, a Clinical Psychology PhD student in the Emotion and Psychopathology (EmP) Lab at Rutgers University in New Jersey talks about how individuals who self-harm after experiencing high arousal negative emotions (HANEs), like anger, experience pain differently than those who self-injure after experiencing low arousal negative emotions (LANEs), like sadness and dissociation. 

Connect with Michelle on LinkedIn here, and learn more about the Emotion and Psychopathology (EmP) Lab here. Below are some papers referenced in this episode:

1. Drummond, P. D. (1995). Noradrenaline increases hyperalgesia to heat in skin sensitized by capsaicin. Pain, 60(3), 311-315.
2. Wiercioch-Kuzianik, K., & Bąbel, P. (2019). Color hurts. The effect of color on pain perception. Pain Medicine,  20(10), 1955-1962.
3. Paul, E., Tsypes, A., Eidlitz, L., Ernhout, C., & Whitlock, J. (2015). Frequency and functions of non-suicidal self-injury: Associations with suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Psychiatry Research, 225(3), 276–282.

Want to have a bigger role on the podcast?:

1. Should you or someone you know be interviewed on the podcast? We want to know! Please fill out this Google doc form, and we will be in touch with more details if it’s a good fit.
2. Want to hear your question and have it answered on the podcast? Please send an audio clip of your question (60 seconds or less) to @DocWesters on Instagram or Twitter/X, or email us at [email protected]
3. Want to be involved in research? Send us a message at [email protected] and we will see if we can match you to an active study.
4. Want to interact with us through comments and polls? You can on Spotify!

Follow Dr. Westers on Instagram and Twitter/X (@DocWesters). To join ISSS, visit itriples.org and follow ISSS on Facebook and Twitter/X (@ITripleS).

The Psychology of Self-Injury podcast has been rated as one of the "10 Best Self Harm Podcasts" and "20 Best Clinical Psychology Podcasts" by Feedspot  and one of the Top 100 Psychology Podcasts by Goodpods. It has also been featured in Audible's "Best Mental Health Podcasts to Defy Stigma and Begin to Heal."

Goodpods Top 100 Parents Podcasts Listen now to The Psychology of Self-Injury: Exploring
Self-Harm & Mental Health podcast 

Goodpods Top 100 Research Podcasts Listen now to The Psychology of Self-Injury: Exploring
Self-Harm & Mental Health podcast 

Emotion Regulation Individual Therapy for Adolescents (ERITA) and its internet-delivered version (IERITA) is just one of a couple of treatments developed specifically to address nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) among adolescents. In this episode, Dr. Johan Bjureberg from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden walks us through in detail each of the 11 sessions of IERITA and IERITA's 6 parallel sessions for parents.

Learn more about Dr. Bjureberg's work here, and follow the Bjureberg Research Lab and their projects and publications at https://bjureberglab.se/. Below are links to his research on ERITA/IERITA referenced in this episode:

1. Bjureberg, J., Ojala, O., Hesser, H., Häbel, H., Sahlin, H., Gratz, K. L., Tull, M. T., Knutsson, E. C., Hedman-Lagerlöf, E., Ljótsson, B., & Hellner, C. (2023). Effect of internet-delivered Emotion Regulation Individual Therapy for Adolescents with Nonsuicidal Self-Injury Disorder: A randomized clinical trial. JAMA Network Open, 6(7), e2322069.
2. Bjureberg, J., Sahlin, H., Hedman-Lagerlof, E., Gratz, K. L., Tull, M. T., Jokinen, J., Hellner, C., & Ljotsson, B. (2018). Extending research on emotion regulation individual therapy for adolescents (ERITA) with nonsuicidal self-injury disorder: Open pilot trial and mediation analysis of a novel online version. BMC Psychiatry, 18, 326.
3. Bjureberg, J., Sahlin, H., Hellner, C., Hedman-Lagerlof, E., Gratz, K. L., Bjarehed, J., Jokinen, J., Tull, M. T., & Ljotsson, B. (2017). Emotion regulation individual therapy for adolescents with nonsuicidal self-injury disorder: A feasibility study. BMC Psychiatry, 17, 411.

Want to have a bigger role on the podcast?:

1. Should you or someone you know be interviewed on the podcast? We want to know! Please fill out this Google doc form, and we will be in touch with more details if it’s a good fit.
2. Want to hear your question and have it answered on the podcast? Please send an audio clip of your question (60 seconds or less) to @DocWesters on Instagram or Twitter/X, or email us at [email protected]
3. Want to be involved in research? Send us a message at [email protected] and we will see if we can match you to an active study.
4. Want to interact with us through comments and polls? You can on Spotify!

Follow Dr. Westers on Instagram and Twitter/X (@DocWesters). To join ISSS, visit itriples.org and follow ISSS on Facebook and Twitter/X (@ITripleS).

The Psychology of Self-Injury podcast has been rated as one of the "10 Best Self Harm Podcasts" and "20 Best Clinical Psychology Podcasts" by Feedspot  and one of the Top 100 Psychology Podcasts by Goodpods. It has also been featured in Audible's "Best Mental Health Podcasts to Defy Stigma and Begin to Heal."

Goodpods Top 100 Parents Podcasts Listen now to The Psychology of Self-Injury: Exploring
Self-Harm & Mental Health podcast 

Goodpods Top 100 Research Podcasts Listen now to The Psychology of Self-Injury: Exploring
Self-Harm & Mental Health podcast 

In this episode, host and producer of The Psychology of Self-Injury podcast, Dr. Nicholas Westers, shares his own thoughts about what we should consider when supporting friends, families, clients, and patients who engage in nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). This marks the first solo episode of the podcast, and Dr. Westers offers ways for listeners to have a bigger role on the podcast, including:

1. Should you or someone you know be interviewed on the podcast? We want to know! Please fill out this Google doc form, and we will be in touch with more details if it’s a good fit.
2. Want to hear your question and have it answered on the podcast? Please send an audio clip of your question (60 seconds or less) to @DocWesters on Instagram or Twitter/X, or email us at [email protected]
3. Want to be involved in research? Send us a message at [email protected] and we will see if we can match you to an active study.
4. Want to interact with us through comments and polls? You can on Spotify!

Below are a couple papers related to this episode with Dr. Westers:

1. Westers, N. J., Rehfuss, M., Olson, L., & Biron, D. (2012). The role of forgiveness in adolescents who engage in nonsuicidal self-injury. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 200(6), 535-541.
2. Westers, N. J., & Tinsley, B. (2023). Nonsuicidal self-injury risk assessment, intervention, and guidance for first responders and medical settings. In E. E. Lloyd-Richardson, I. Baetens, & J. Whitlock (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of nonsuicidal self-injury (pp. 873–893). Oxford University Press.

Follow Dr. Westers on Instagram and Twitter/X (@DocWesters). To join ISSS, visit itriples.org and follow ISSS on Facebook and Twitter/X (@ITripleS).

The Psychology of Self-Injury podcast has been rated as one of the "10 Best Self Harm Podcasts" and "20 Best Clinical Psychology Podcasts" by Feedspot  and one of the Top 100 Psychology Podcasts by Goodpods. It has also been featured in Audible's "Best Mental Health Podcasts to Defy Stigma and Begin to Heal."

Goodpods Top 100 Parents Podcasts Listen now to The Psychology of Self-Injury: Exploring
Self-Harm & Mental Health podcast 

Goodpods Top 100 Research Podcasts Listen now to The Psychology of Self-Injury: Exploring
Self-Harm & Mental Health podcast