The Psychology of Self-Injury: Exploring Self-Harm & Mental Health

What is a parent's role in helping their child recover from self-injury? What might a dad say about supporting his child when he learns his child is engaging in nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI)?  In this episode, a father and daughter sit down to discuss her lived experience of self-injury and self-harm and how parents, especially dads, can support their child. This is a shared story.

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."

In this episode, ISSS Past Presidents Dr. Stephen Lewis from the University of Guelph in Canada, and Dr. Penelope Hasking from Curtin University in Australia talk about a new way of understanding self-injury and self-harm, with a special focus on recovery. In their person-centered approach, they emphasize the perspective of lived experience, move away from a "why don't you just stop" mentality, normalize ongoing self-injury thoughts and urges, and discuss strengths, scarring, and disclosures. 

Follow Drs. Lewis and Hasking on Twitter at @SPLewisPhD and @PennyHasking. Keep up with Dr. Lewis' non-profit outreach organization Self-Injury Outreach & Support at @sioutreach, and follow Dr. Hasking's research in the Emotional Health and Self-Injury Research Group at @NSSI_RG. 

Below are links to their book and a couple of their articles referenced in this episode:

1. Lewis, S. P., & Hasking, P. A. (2023). Understanding self-injury: A person-centered approach. Oxford University Press.
2. Lewis, S. P., & Hasking, P. A. (2021). Understanding self-injury: A person-centered approach. Psychiatric Services, 72(6), 721-723.
3. Lewis, S. P., & Hasking, P. (2019). Putting the “self” in self-injury research: Inclusion of people with lived experience in the research process. Psychiatric Services, 70(11), 1058-1060.

To read more about person-first language and identity-first language when referencing autism, click here and also visit https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36237135/. To read about language used to discuss race and ethnicity, 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 "Best 20 Clinical Psychology Podcasts" and by Welp Magazine in their "20 Best Injury Podcasts."

What goes on at the neurobiological level that makes someone more vulnerable to self-injure or self-harm? What biological risk factors are at play? What roles do the vagus nerve, cortisol levels, and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis have? We hope to discuss the psychology of self-injury pain in a future episode, but in this episode, Dr. Michael Kaess from the University of Bern in Switzerland explains the neurobiology of self-injury in simple terms, or what we hope can be considered simple layman's terms. 

Learn more about Dr. Kaess and his research team at the Universitäre Psychiatrische Dienste (UPD) in Bern here. To participate in Dr. Kaess' research study of an online intervention for self-injury (in German), visit the STAR (Self-injury Treatment Assessment Recovery) Project at https://star-projekt.de/.

Below are links to some of the research referenced in this episode:

1. Kaess, M., Hooley, J. M., Klimes-Dougan, B., Koenig, J., Plener, P. L., Reichl, C., Robinson, K., Schmahl, C., Sicorello, M., Schreiner, M. W., & Cullen, K. R. (2021). Advancing a temporal framework for understanding the biology of nonsuicidal self-injury: An expert review. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 130, 228-239.
2. Reichl, C., Heyer, A., Brunner, R., Parzer, P., Völker, J. M., Resch, R., & Kaess, M. (2016). Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, childhood adversity and adolescent nonsuicidal self-injury. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 74, 203-211.
3. Plener, P. L., Bubalo, N., Fladung, A. K., Ludolph, A. G., & Lulé, D. (2012). Prone to excitement: Adolescent females with non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) show altered cortical pattern to emotional and NSS-related material. Psychiatry Research, 203(2-3), 146-152.

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 "Best 20 Clinical Psychology Podcasts" and by Welp Magazine in their "20 Best Injury Podcasts."

A lot of therapies address the context in which nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) and self-harm may occur, but only a few treatments have been designed to address NSSI specifically. In this episode, we dive into one of these treatments: Emotion Regulation Group Therapy (ERGT). Drs. Kim Gratz and Matthew Tull from Lyra Health and the University of Toledo in Ohio walk us through in significant detail each of the 90-minute 14 sessions of ERGT.

You can purchase their book "Acceptance-based emotion regulation therapy: A clinician’s guide to treating emotion dysregulation and self-destructive behaviors using an evidence-based therapy drawn from ACT and DBT" on Amazon here or at New Harbinger Publications here. 

Connect with Dr. Gratz on LinkedIn here and Dr. Tull here. Below are links to their research on ERGT referenced 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 #5 by Feedspot in their "Best 20 Clinical Psychology Podcasts" and by Welp Magazine in their "20 Best Injury Podcasts."

Early in the pandemic there was a lot of talk about how the initial lockdown and stay-at-home orders would affect people’s mental health, including risk for suicide and nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). In this episode, Dr. Ruth Tatnell answers questions about the pandemic's effects on rates of self-injury: Did the initial lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic increase self-injury urges and behaviors like many people thought would happen? And do we know if self-harm has increased, decreased, or stayed the same since the first lockdown of the pandemic?

Learn more about Dr. Tatnell and her work at Deakin University here, and connect with her on LinkedIn here. Below is her publication discussed in this month's episode as well as additional articles referenced in our interview:

1. Tatnell, R., Terhaag, S., & Melvin, G. (2023). Covid-19 lockdown and non-suicidal self-injury: A Mixed methods analysis of NSSI during Australia's national lockdown. Archives of Suicide Research. Online ahead of print.
2. Tanaka, T., & Okamoto, S. (2021). Increase in suicide following an initial decline during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan. Nature Human Behaviour, 5(2), 229–238.
3. Read about the Harvard Happiness Study published in The Atlantic here. 
4. Read about the Cigna loneliness study here and their tips for addressing loneliness 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 "Best 20 Clinical Psychology Podcasts" and by Welp Magazine in their "20 Best Injury Podcasts."

In 1986, the first treatment program in the United States specifically for nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) opened its doors. Self Abuse Finally Ends, better known as S.A.F.E. Alternatives, was a 30-day inpatient program for the treatment of self-injury and self-harm. In this episode, Dr. Wendy Lader, the Co-Founder and retired Clinical Director of S.A.F.E. Alternatives talks about  what treatment looked like back then and how treatment has evolved over time.

Learn more about Dr. Lader on her website www.drlader.com, and find her book Bodily Harm: the Breakthrough Healing Program for Self-Injurers on Amazon here. To learn more about S.A.F.E. Alternatives, visit selfinjury.com or call 1-800-DONTCUT (1-800-366-8288). If you are seeking treatment options with them, let them know you heard about the program on The Psychology of Self-Injury podcast with Dr. Lader.

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 "Best 20 Clinical Psychology Podcasts" and by Welp Magazine in their "20 Best Injury Podcasts."

How are scars from nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) different than physical scars that are unintentional or result from non-self-inflicted wounds ? What psychological effects can result from daily reminders of one's own decision to self-harm? Is there an association between NSSI scars and suicidal thoughts and behaviors? In this episode, Dr. Burke discusses the mixed relationship that many people who self-injure have with the scars they bear from NSSI and how some may feel the need to hide their scars even from themselves. 

Learn more about Dr. Burke and her work by clicking here or visiting the Mood & Behavior Lab (MABL) at www.moodandbehaviorlab.org. Follow her on Twitter @TaylorABurkePhD. 

Below are some of her publications and papers referenced in this episode:

1. Burke, T. A., Ammerman, B. A., Hamilton, J. L., Stange, J. P., & Piccirillo, M. (2020). Nonsuicidal self-injury scar concealment from the self and others. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 130, 313-320.
2. Burke, T. A., Olino, T. M., & Alloy, L. B. (2017). Initial psychometric validation of the nonsuicidal self-injury scar cognition scale. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 39, 546–562.
3. Burke, T. A., Hamilton, J. L., Cohen, J. N., Stange, J. P., & Alloy, L. B. (2016). Identifying a physical indicator of suicide risk: non-suicidal self-injury scars predict suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 65, 79–87.
4. Bachtelle, S. E., & Pepper, C. M. (2015). The physical results of nonsuicidal self-injury: The meaning behind the scars. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 203(12), 927-933.

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 "Best 20 Clinical Psychology Podcasts" and by Welp Magazine in their "20 Best Injury Podcasts."

In this episode, Kirsty Moore details her experience of engaging in nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) beginning at age 14 and into her 30's. She discusses her training in psychology and how she integrates research on NSSI with her lived experience of self-harm as a form of advocacy when conducting workshops on NSSI for the community. Connect with Dr. Kirsty on Instagram at @dr_kirsty_coaching.  

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 "Best 20 Clinical Psychology Podcasts" and by Welp Magazine in their "20 Best Injury Podcasts."

What digital interventions exist for addressing nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI)? And do they and peer-support apps help in reducing NSSI urges and behaviors?  What do individuals with lived experience of self-injury say that they look for in app-based technology to address self-injury? In this episode, Dr. Kruzan from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine shares about what her research has revealed and discusses the potential utility of Virtual Reality in the treatment of self-injury and self-harm.

Learn more about Dr. Kruzan and her research at https://www.kayleekruzan.com/, and follow her on Twitter at @KayleeKruzan. Below is some of her research referenced in this episode:

1. Kruzan, K. P., Whitlock, J., & Bazarova, N. N. (2021). Examining the relationship between the use of a mobile peer-support app and self-Injury outcomes: Longitudinal mixed methods study. JMIR Mental Health, 8(1), e21854.
2. Kruzan, K. P., & Whitlock, J. (2022). Digital media, suicide, and self-injury. In J. Nesi, E. H. Telzer, & M. J. Prinstein (Eds.), Handbook of adolescent digital media use and mental health (pp. 338-362). Cambridge University Press.
3. Kruzan, K. P., Mohr, D., & Reddy, M. (2022). How technologies can support self-Injury self-management: Perspectives of young adults with lived experience of nonsuicidal self-injury. Frontiers in Digital Health, 4, 913599.
4. Kruzan, K. P., Bazarova, N. N., & Whitlock (2021). Investigating self-injury support solicitations and responses on a mobile peer support application. Proceedings of the 2020 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 5, 1-14.
5. Kruzan, K. P., & Whitlock, J. L. (in press). Digital interventions for nonsuicidal self-injury. In E. E. Lloyd-Richardson, I. Baetens & J. Whitlock (Eds.), The handbook of nonsuicidal self-injury. Oxford University Press.

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 "Best 20 Clinical Psychology Podcasts" and by Welp Magazine in their "20 Best Injury Podcasts."

Just how prevalent is self-injury among children under age 12?  Do the types and methods they use differ from those who self-injure at other ages? What about the reasons they give for self-injuring? In this episode, Dr. Imke Baetens and PhD candidate Lisa Van Hove from Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Brussels University) discuss the prevalence of self-injury and self-harm among children under age 12 and how parents can talk to their young children about the behavior. 

To learn more about the International Consortium on Self-Injury in Educational Settings (ICSES), visit www.icsesgroup.org. Learn more about Dr. Baetens at www.brucc.be/en/imke-baetens. To see her publications, click here, and to learn more about her work at the Brussels University Consultation Center (BUCC), visit www.brucc.be/en. Connect with Lisa on LinkedIn here. Below are some of their research referenced in this episode: 

1. Baetens, I., Decruy, C., Vatandoost, S., Vanderhaegen, B., & Kiekens, G. (2020). School-based prevention targeting non-suicidal self-injury: A pilot study. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 11, 437.
2. Van Hove, L., Baetens, I., Simundic, A., Bloom, E., & Heath, N. (in press). NSSI in elementary school children. In E. E. Lloyd-Richardson, I. Baetens & J. Whitlock (Eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury. Oxford University Press.

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 "Best 20 Clinical Psychology Podcasts" and by Welp Magazine in their "20 Best Injury Podcasts."