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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 him on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/jonasbjarehed. Below are a couple of his publications along with a couple papers on "phubbing."
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 #1 by Feedspot in their list of "10 Best Self Harm Podcasts" and #5 in their "20 Best Clinical Psychology Podcasts." It has also been featured in Audible's "Best Mental Health Podcasts to Defy Stigma and Begin to Heal."
If you or someone you know should be interviewed on the podcast, we want to know! Please fill out this form, and we will be in touch with more details if it’s a good fit.
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 or sister who self-injures?
Connect with Dr. Lucas on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/amyhlucas, and learn more about her work at Speek Health, a resource for parents and caregivers of individuals who self-harm, at lets-speek.com. Below is one of the few (and free) research articles about siblings of those who engage in NSSI:
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 #1 by Feedspot in their list of "10 Best Self Harm Podcasts" and #5 in their "20 Best Clinical Psychology Podcasts." It has also been featured in Audible's "Best Mental Health Podcasts to Defy Stigma and Begin to Heal."
If you or someone you know should be interviewed on the podcast, we want to know! Please fill out this form, and we will be in touch with more details if it’s a good fit.
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 Season 3 ("How Should Self-Harm Be Defined?") here. Learn more about Dr. Lengel at his faculty profile at Drake University here and follow him on Twitter/X at @DrGregLengel. Below are links to many of the papers discussed in this episode as well as other important papers on NSSI as a disorder in the DSM-5:
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 #1 by Feedspot in their list of "10 Best Self Harm Podcasts" and #5 in their "20 Best Clinical Psychology Podcasts." It has also been featured in Audible's "Best Mental Health Podcasts to Defy Stigma and Begin to Heal."
If you or someone you know should be interviewed on the podcast, we want to know! Please fill out this form, and we will be in touch with more details if it’s a good fit.
NONSUICIDAL SELF-INJURY DISORDER (PROPOSED DIAGNOSIS):
A. In the last year, the individual has, on 5 or more days, engaged in intentional self-inflicted damage to the surface of his or her body of a sort likely to induce bleeding, bruising, or pain (e.g., cutting, burning, stabbing, hitting, excessive rubbing), with the expectation that the injury will lead to only minor or moderate physical harm (i.e., there is no suicidal intent). Note: The absence of suicidal intent has either been stated by the individual or can be inferred by the individual's repeated engagement in a behavior that the individual knows, or has learned, is not likely to result in death.
B. The individual engages in the self-injurious behavior with one or more of the following expectations:
Note: The desired relief or response is experienced during or shortly after the self-injury, and the individual may display patterns of behavior suggesting a dependence on repeatedly engaging in it.
C. The intentional self-injury is associated with at least one of the following:
D. The behavior is not socially sanctioned (e.g., body piercing, tattooing, part of a religious or cultural ritual) and is not restricted to picking a scab or nail biting.
E. The behavior or its consequences cause clinically significant distress or interference in interpersonal, academic, or other important areas of functioning.
F. The behavior does not occur exclusively during psychotic episodes, delirium, substance intoxication, or substance withdrawal. In individuals with a neurodevelopmental disorder, the behavior is not part of a pattern of repetitive stereotypies. The behavior is not better explained by another mental disorder or medical condition (e.g., psychotic disorder, autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, Lesch-Nyhan syndrome, stereotypic movement disorder with self-injury, trichotillomania [hair-pulling disorder], excoriation [skin-picking] disorder).
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/. Listen to her interview from Season 1 ("Disclosures of Self-Injury") here. Learn more about Dr. Lengel at his faculty profile at Drake University here. Follow them on Twitter/X at @brooke_ammerman and @DrGregLengel. Below are links to some of the papers discussed in this episode:
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 #1 by Feedspot in their list of "10 Best Self Harm Podcasts" and #5 in their "20 Best Clinical Psychology Podcasts." It has also been featured in Audible's "Best Mental Health Podcasts to Defy Stigma and Begin to Heal."
If you or someone you know should be interviewed on the podcast, we want to know! Please fill out this form, and we will be in touch with more details if it’s a good fit.
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 co-occurrences of potentially harmful coping behaviors.
Learn more about Dr. Turner and her work in the Risky Behaviour Lab at the University of Victoria here, and access many of her publications at https://uvic.academia.edu/BriannaTurner. Follow Dr. Turner on Twitter/X (@BriannaT_Psyc) and connect with the Risky Behaviour Lab on Instagram (@riskybehaviourlab_uvic) and Twitter/X (@RBL_UVic), especially if you are interested in participating in NSSI research. Below are the structural models of self-damaging behaviors discussed in this episode:
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 #1 by Feedspot in their list of "10 Best Self Harm Podcasts" and #5 in their "20 Best Clinical Psychology Podcasts." It has also been featured in Audible's "Best Mental Health Podcasts to Defy Stigma and Begin to Heal."
If you or someone you know should be interviewed on the podcast, we want to know! Please fill out this form, and we will be in touch with more details if it’s a good fit.
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 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."
If you or someone you know should be interviewed on the podcast, we want to know! Please fill out this form, and we will be in touch with more details if it’s a good fit.
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 we can bridge the gap between NSSI research and clinical practice, and SIB among those with IDD. She also shares 4 key topics from her interviews with experts in SIB and NSSI: (1) case ascertainment, (2) perceptions of causal variables, (3) pathways to treatment, and (4) treatment goals and outcomes.
Learn more about the Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain and their interdisciplinary approaches to understanding and improving SIB workgroup here. Follow Caroline on Twitter/X at @clrobz. Below are one of her papers and other research referenced in today's episode:
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 #1 by Feedspot in their list of "10 Best Self Harm Podcasts" and #5 in their "20 Best Clinical Psychology Podcasts." It has also been featured in Audible's "Best Mental Health Podcasts to Defy Stigma and Begin to Heal."
If you or someone you know should be interviewed on the podcast, we want to know! Please fill out this form, and we will be in touch with more details if it’s a good fit.
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:
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 #1 by Feedspot in their list of "10 Best Self Harm Podcasts" and #5 in their "20 Best Clinical Psychology Podcasts." It has also been featured in Audible's "Best Mental Health Podcasts to Defy Stigma and Begin to Heal."
If you or someone you know should be interviewed on the podcast, we want to know! Please fill out this form, and we will be in touch with more details if it’s a good fit.
Amidst a global youth mental health crisis, is it possible that many young people are experiencing 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, and offer a psychoanalytic perspective of current trends.
Learn more about Dr. Papadima and her work at www.mariapapadima.com, and read her blog about "Self-diagnosis via TikTok" here. Below is the reference and link to their paper discussed in this episode:
Follow Dr. Westers on Instagram and Twitter (@DocWesters). To join ISSS, visit itriples.org and follow ISSS on Facebook and Twitter (@ITripleS).
The Psychology of Self-Injury podcast has been rated #1 by Feedspot in their list of "10 Best Self Harm Podcasts" and #5 in their "20 Best Clinical Psychology Podcasts." It has also been featured in Audible's "Best Mental Health Podcasts to Defy Stigma and Begin to Heal."
If you or someone you know should be interviewed on the podcast, we want to know! Please fill out this form, and we will be in touch with more details if it’s a good fit.
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 images of violence toward oneself. He then walks us through how he uses Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) for Self-Harm OCD in therapy.
Learn more about Nathan and his therapy practice OCD and Anxiety Counseling here. He has nearly 100k subscribers on YouTube (@ocdandanxiety) where his videos receive thousands and thousands of views. You can also follow him on Instagram (@ocdandanxietyonline), Twitter (@ocdandanxiety1), and Facebook. Click here to take his online "Do I Have Harm OCD? Test." Below are additional resources about OCD and/or NSSI:
To learn more about how medication can help address OCD (most often in tandem with ERP but not discussed in this episode), click here.
Follow Dr. Westers on Instagram and Twitter (@DocWesters). To join ISSS, visit itriples.org and follow ISSS on Facebook and Twitter (@ITripleS).
The Psychology of Self-Injury podcast has been rated #5 by Feedspot in their "20 Best Clinical Psychology Podcasts" and also featured in Audible's "Best Mental Health Podcasts to Defy Stigma and Begin to Heal."
If you or someone you know should be interviewed on the podcast, we want to know! Please fill out this form, and we will be in touch with more details if it’s a good fit.
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