Julian Koenig, Dr. sc. hum. (PhD), from the University of Cologne in Germany discusses the psychology of pain in self-injury and self-harm. Season 3 | Episode 40 Podcast/ Season 3 | Episode 40 The Psychology of Self-Injury Pain Aug 25, 2023 with Dr. Julien Koenig The Psychology of Self-Injury Pain with Dr. Julien Koenig 00:00 / 01:04 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 sensitivity in self-injury . Psychological Medicine, 46 (8), 1597-1612. Koenig, J., Klier, J., Parzer, P., Santangelo, P., Resch, F., Ebner-Priemer, U., & Kaess, M. (2021). High-frequency ecological momentary assessment of emotional and interpersonal states preceding and following self-injury in female adolescents . European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 30 (8), 1299-1308. 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. Störkel, L. M., Karabatsiakis, A., Hepp, J., Kolassa, I.-T., Schmahl, C., & Niedtfeld, I. (2021). Salivary beta-endorphin in nonsuicidal self-injury: an ambulatory assessment study . Neuropsychopharmacology, 46 (7), 1357-1363. Sigrist, C., Kaess, M., & Koenig, J. (2023). Autonomic nervous system function in nonsuicidal self-injury—A Research Domain Criteria perspective on the arousal/regulatory systems . In E. E. Lloyd-Richardson, I. Baetens, & J. Whitlock (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of nonsuicidal self-injury (pp. C18S1–C18S23). Oxford University Press. Naoum, J., Reitz, S., Krause-Utz, A., Kleindienst, N., Willis, F., Kuniss, S., Baumgärtner, U., Mancke, F., Treede, R.-D., & Schmahl, C. (2016). The role of seeing blood in non-suicidal self-injury in female patients with borderline personality disorder . Psychiatry Research, 246 , 676-682. 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 ." Previous Next

Membership Plans Home / Membership / Membership Plans Member Benefits As a paying member of ISSS, you will get access to a host of benefits, including: Reduced registration fees for conferences Access to recorded conference content Our repository of NSSI measures (currently under construction) Voting and award-nomination rights Ability to advertise your research on our research participation page (currently under construction, restrictions will apply) Join us today by choosing your plan below. Professional $ 75 75$ For academics, clinicians, and other employed professionals Valid for one year Buy Now Concession $ 50 50$ Option for professionals experiencing financial hardship Valid for one year Buy Now Student $ 25 25$ For current undergraduate and graduate students Valid for one year Buy Now Other Stakeholders $ 25 25$ For non-academic/clinical/professional members (e.g., lived experience, parent) Valid for one year Buy Now

2023 - 2024 Home / Collaborative Research Program / NSSI and other coping... Examining predictors of co-occurrence of NSSI with other potentially harmful coping behaviours Mentor/s: Briana Turner 2023 - 2024 Project Overview We collected prospective, monthly surveys from two cohorts of first year university students (n=704). A core aim of this study was to examine trajectories and co-occurrence of potentially harmful coping behaviours, including NSSI, during students’ first year of university. We administered a broad range of personality measures at baseline, in September (e.g., Ten Item Personality Inventory, BIS/BAS, Sensitivity to punishment and sensitivity to reward, UPPS-P impulsivity, DERS) as well as behavioral measures of decision-making. Subsequently, we collected information about participants’ mood, wellbeing, and engagement in various potentially harmful coping behaviours, namely NSSI, disordered eating, substance misuse, physical aggression, and financial risk-taking (compulsive shopping, gambling). Over the upcoming year, I intend to analyze co-occurrence of these behaviors over the year, as well as personality and behavioral predictors of distinct profiles of coping behaviors. I would welcome junior researchers to be involved in this project to refine skills in longitudinal data analysis. Application Deadline: June 11 2023 Apply Now Previous Next

Brooke Ammerman, PhD, from the University of Notre Dame provides insight into how individuals who self-injure come to decide to disclose their self-injury and self-harm and suggests helpful ways to respond to self-injury disclosures. Season 1 | Episode 7 Podcast/ Season 1 | Episode 7 Disclosures of Self-Injury Feb 26, 2021 with Dr. Brooke Ammerman Disclosures of Self-Injury with Dr. Brooke Ammerman 00:00 / 01:04 What are some common reasons people give for choosing to disclose their self-injury? How do positive and negative reactions affect someone’s willingness to disclose their self-injury or self-harm in the future and their likelihood of discontinuing their self-injury? In this episode, Dr. Ammerman shares findings from her research in which individuals who self-injure share their answers to these questions. She also explains why only providing "tangible aid" such as offering to help someone who self-injures get medical help or referring them to a mental health professional may not always be all that helpful. Learn more about Dr. Ammerman and her work in the Affect, Suicide, Self-Injury, and Social Triggers (ASSIST) Lab at https://assistlab.nd.edu/ . Below are links to some of her research referenced in this episode: The development of a measure to assess social reactions to self-injury disclosure How should we respond to non-suicidal self-injury disclosures?: An examination of perceived reactions to disclosure, depression, and suicide risk Characterizing the choice to disclose nonsuicidal self‐injury Follow Dr. Westers on Instagram and Twitter (@DocWesters). To join ISSS, visit itriples.org and follow ISSS on Facebook and Twitter (@ITripleS). Previous Next

Brianna Turner, PhD, from the University of Victoria in Canada explains why the boundaries between various forms of self-harm and self-injury may be less clear than implied by research and definitions. Season 3 | Episode 43 Podcast/ Season 3 | Episode 43 Where Does Self-Injury Fit Within Self-Damaging Behaviors? Nov 24, 2023 with Dr. Brianna Turner Where Does Self-Injury Fit Within Self-Damaging Behaviors? with Dr. Brianna Turner 00:00 / 01:04 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: St. Germain, S. A., & Hooley, J. M. (2012). Direct and indirect forms of non-suicidal self-injury: Evidence for a distinction . Psychiatry Research, 197 (1-2), 78-84. Green, J. D., Hatgis, C., Kearns, J. C., Nock, M. K., & Marx, B. P. (2017). The Direct and Indirect Self-Harm Inventory (DISH): A new measure for assessing high-risk and self-harm behaviors among military veterans . Psychology of Men & Masculinity, 18 (3), 208–214. Bresin, K. (2020). Toward a unifying theory of dysregulated behaviors . Clinical Psychology Review, 80 , 101885. Kotov, R., Krueger, R. F., Watson, D., Achenbach, T. M., Althoff, R. R., Bagby, R. M., . . . Zimmerman, M. (2017). The Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP): A dimensional alternative to traditional nosologies . Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 126 (4), 454–477. Barlow, D. H., et al. (2017). Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders: Therapist Guide (2nd ed.) . Oxford University. Ehrenreich-May, J., et al. (2018). Unified Protocols for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders in Children and Adolescents: Therapist Guide . Oxford University. 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. Previous Next

Two paragraph summary Research on Self-Injury in Daily Life Dr Glenn Kiekens Two paragraph summary Previous Next Featured Member Home / Special Interest Groups / Research on Self-Injury in Daily Life / Member Spotlights Question Answer

Allison from Washington State shares her story of lived experience of self-injury, scarring, and shame as well as how she makes sense of her self-harm scars in the context of her faith. Season 3 | Episode 42 Podcast/ Season 3 | Episode 42 Lived Experience: Allison's Story of Self-Injury & Scarring Oct 27, 2023 Lived Experience: Allison's Story of Self-Injury & Scarring 00:00 / 01:04 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. Previous Next

Home / Awards / Invited Fellow / Dr. Janis L. Whitlock Dr. Janis L. Whitlock Previous Dr. Janis Whitlock is a Senior Research Scientist and Director Emerita at the Cornell Research Program on Self-Injury and Recovery (United States). For over two decades, she has been a pioneering force in understanding the epidemiology, context, and recovery process of self-injury, especially among adolescents and college students. Her work has illuminated how social, developmental, and digital factors influence self-injury, and she has been at the forefront of translating research into accessible educational materials for clinicians, parents, and young people. Her work has been foundational in understanding self-injury among adolescents and young adults, particularly in community and online contexts. Dr. Whitlock is deeply respected for her compassionate approach, her emphasis on resilience and recovery, and her lifelong commitment to empowering individuals and communities to respond to self-injury with understanding rather than stigma. Next ISSS Fellow | 2022

Christina Beck, a screenwriter, director, and actress discusses her film "PERFECTION" and what inspired her to create a film in which the protagonist engages in self-injury and self-harm. Season 2 | Episode 26 Podcast/ Season 2 | Episode 26 Self-Injury in Film: "PERFECTION" the Movie Jun 30, 2022 with Actor & Director Christina Beck Self-Injury in Film: "PERFECTION" the Movie with Actor & Director Christina Beck 00:00 / 01:04 Every screenwriter and film director is different and each has their own intentions and motivations, but what goes into the writing of characters who engage in self-injury and self-harm? How are such films inspired, and how do writers and directors choose to frame self-injury content? In this episode, screenwriter, director, and actress Christina Beck discusses her independent feature film "PERFECTION" and what inspired the characters and content of the film. This episode was recorded as a live virtual session held during the 17th annual ISSS Conference on June 24, 2022. To watch PERFECTION (for free), visit perfectionthemovie.wordpress.com and click on "Watch PERFECTION NOW !" Download the movie's free companion workbook here . Please note that some content in the film could be upsetting or triggering, including depictions of self-injury, substance use, and brief flashbacks that allude to sexual abuse. Christina is also a film professor at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, CA. You can follow her on Twitter at @xtinabeck and Facebook at www.facebook.com/perfectionfilm . To review the Media Guidelines for the Responsible Reporting and Depicting of Non-Suicidal Self-Injury published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, click here . You can also visit www.itriples.org/media-guidelines to read the original ISSS white paper and its accompanied infographic. 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 ." Previous Next

NSSI Measures Resources / NSSI Measures Towards Field Consistency Measuring and assessing non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is complex and various measuring systems have been created. To facilitate the use of reliable and validated measures, the ISSS has established a repository of measures available to ISSS members. Assessment tools listed below are included with the permission of the authors. If there is a measure you think should be added to this list, please suggest it! Suggest a Measure Functional Assessment of Self-Mutilation Lloyd et al., 1997 FASM Inventory of Statements About Self-Injury Klonsky & Glenn, 2009 ISAS Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviours Interview - Revised Nock et al., 2007 SITBI-R Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviours Interview - Short Form Nock et al., 2007 SITBI-SF The Ottawa Self-Injury Inventory Nixon et al., 2015 OSI The Screen for Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Halverson et al., 2022 SNSI

Supports Resources / Supports Seeking Support is Self-Care There are a range of supports are available for individuals with lived experience of self-injury and for those who care about /for individuals who self-injure. We have put together a list of possible supports, including printable resource sheets, and links to organisations, advocacy and support groups, books, podcasts, and education. We acknowledge that people have different needs and find benefit in different types of suppo rt. The resources linked below include international charities, not-for-profit groups, work created by or in collaboration with ISSS members, registered charities, an d other resources and online spaces that may be helpful, interesting, or thought provoking. Note. While we have given each page a brief evaluation for appropriateness, the linked pages are not officially "endorsed" by ISSS and they may not be applicable to everyone. Support Type Title URL Education International Consortium on Self-Injury in Schools https://icsesgroup.org/ Online Support Self-Injury Outreach and Support https://sioutreach.org/ Education Shedding Light on Self-Injury https://www.self-injury.org.au/resource Advocacy To Write Love on Her Arms https://twloha.com/ Advocacy The Trevor Project https://www.thetrevorproject.org/ Advocacy Live Through This http://livethroughthis.org/ Podcast The Psychology of Self-Injury https://the-psychology-of-self-injury.simplecast.com/ Podcast Suicide 'n' Stuff https://suicide-n-stuff.com/ Podcast Before You Kill Yourself https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/before-you-kill-yourself/id1446501856 Podcast Psychodrama https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/psychodrama/id1504002821 Book Healing Self-Injury: A Compassionate Guide https://global.oup.com/academic/product/healing-self-injury-9780199391608?cc=us&lang=en& Online Support With Help Comes Hope http://lifelineforattemptsurvivors.org/

About Self-Injury What is Self-Injury? Resources / About Self-Injury / What is Self-Injury? "A distinct behaviour" Self-injury is a common yet poorly understand behaviour. Educating ourselves about self-injury starts with being specific about what we mean when we talk about it. There are several key elements to our definition: The harm is intentional or expected Risky behaviors that could result in harm, such as not wearing a seatbelt while driving, or behaviors that can result in accidental harm, such as playing extreme sports, are typically excluded under our definition. The injury results in immediate physical injury Behaviors that do not directly result in physical injury are typically excluded under our definition, even though they may be harmful or dangerous. For instance, food restriction is typically not considered a form of NSSI since the associated physical damage tends to build up over time, instead of happening as soon as the behavior occurs. Is not intended to cause death While suicidal thoughts may be present when someone self-injures, the self-injury itself is not intended to cause death. Some people may use self-injury to manage suicidal urges or intense distress related to suicidal thoughts. Self-injury enacted with suicidal intent is not classified as NSSI. Is not part of social or cultural practices Behaviors that might cause physical damage but are acceptable in our society, or part of a recognized cultural, spiritual or religious ritual, are not considered self-injury. Behaviors such as body modification, body piercing, tattooing, and religious self-flagellation are not usually considered forms of self-injury. A note on terminology The term "NSSI" is often used interchangeably with self-injury - we do so throughout this site; however, it is important to bear in mind that someone may use the term 'self-injury' and be referring to suicidal behaviour. Likewise, while we do not use the term self-harm on this site, many people, including researchers, clinicians, and individuals with lived experience, use this term to refer to NSSI. Regardless of the source, it is important to always ascertain whether the term is being used to refer to suicidal or non-suicidal behaviours. There are some other terms used throughout the field that may or may not refer to NSSI. Self-harm Often, when people think of 'self-harm', what comes to mind is NSSI. However, self-harm is an umbrella term that captures all self-directed injury regardless of intent. In some conceptualisations, self-harm includes indirect injury, such as that caused by reckless behaviours, or psychological injury, such as that caused by self-criticism. While NSSI falls under the self-harm umbrella, ISSS distinguishes NSSI from other behaviors due to the aetiological, functional, and predictive factors that are unique to NSSI. Deliberate self-harm Deliberate self-harm is a term usually used to refer to non-suicidal self-injury; however, it may also encompass any self-inflicted injury, regardless of intent. Determining what is meant when this term is used is important. Self-cutting NSSI is sometimes referred to by focusing on particular methods (e.g., self-cutting). While cutting is among the most widely recognized forms of self-injury, the behavior can take many other forms, including burning, hitting, or scratching. Furthermore, many people who self-injure report using more than method during their lives. Therefore, we recommend avoiding this term when referring to self-injury more broadly, as it dismisses the experiences of many people. Parasuicide, self-mutilation These terms are no longer used in contemporary research and practice, but are occasionally still seen in news media. The term 'parasuicide' links injury to suicide, creating an assumption that self-injury is a suicide attempt. As we know, this is not always that case. The term 'self-mutilation' is stigmatising and harmful, characterising an individual's injury as negative due to its appearance and conjuring judgement and fear (Hasking & Boyes, 2018; Hasking et al., 2019). References Hasking, P., & Boyes, M. (2018). Cutting words: A commentary on language and stigma in the context of nonsuicidal self-injury. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease , 206 , 829-833. https://doi.org/10.1097/nmd.0000000000000899 Hasking, P., Lewis, S. P., & Boyes, M. E. (2019). When language is maladaptive: Recommendations for discussing self-injury. Journal of Public Mental Health , 18 , 148-152. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPMH-01-2019-0014 Klonsky, E. D., Victor, S. E., & Saffer, B. Y. (2014). Nonsuicidal self-injury: What we know, and what we need to know. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry , 59 , 565-568. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F070674371405901101