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  • 2018

    Brussels, Belgium 2018 Conferences / 13th Annual Conference | Brussels, Belgium June, 2018 In 2018, we hosted our 13th Annual International Conference in Brussels, Belgium. Conference Schedule Information for Presenters Details Register for the conference Additional registration information NOTE: If you are from a low or low-middle income nation , please email ISSS2026@akademikonferens.se for a 20% discount. Conference Program ISSS 2018 Conference Program .pdf Download PDF • 1.18MB

  • The Psychology of Self-Injury Scarring

    Taylor Burke, PhD, from Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital discusses the psychological effects of scars resulting from self-injury and self-harm. Season 2 | Episode 31 Podcast/ Season 2 | Episode 31 The Psychology of Self-Injury Scarring Nov 25, 2022 with Dr. Taylor Burke The Psychology of Self-Injury Scarring with Dr. Taylor Burke 00:00 / 01:04 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: 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. 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. 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. 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 ." Previous Next

  • Cognitive and emotional flexibility in youth with NSSI

    2023 - 2024 Home / Collaborative Research Program / Cognitive and emotional flexibility... Cognitive and emotional flexibility in youth with NSSI Mentor/s: Tina In-Albon 2023 - 2024 Project Overview The most common function of NSSI is emotion regulation. However, the differentiation between adaptive and maladaptive strategies is overly simplistic. More recent approaches focus on psychological flexibility, which is seen as an important determinant of mental health and well-being. More specifically, the present project will investigate behavioral, cognitive, and emotion regulation flexibility as well as its associations in youth with NSSI. Behavioral flexibility refers to the adaptive change of behavior in response to changing environmental contengenies. Cognitive flexibility, which refers to the ability to adapt responses/strategies based on environmental feedback. Emotion regulation flexibility refers according to Aldao et al. (2015) as “the degree of covariation between variation in the use of one or more emotional regulation strategies across a number of environments, while the environment might consist of external events or appraisals of emotional reactions to such events.” So, there are two core elements to emotional flexibility, sensitivity to situational demands and the ability to regulate emotions accordingly. Details will be discussed. Application Deadline: June 11 2023 Apply Now Previous Next

  • How Should Self-Harm Be Defined?

    Brooke Ammerman, PhD, and Greg Lengel, PhD, define nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) and self-harm. Season 3 | Episode 44 Podcast/ Season 3 | Episode 44 How Should Self-Harm Be Defined? Dec 29, 2023 with Drs. Brooke Ammerman & Greg Lengel How Should Self-Harm Be Defined? with Drs. Brooke Ammerman & Greg Lengel 00:00 / 01:04 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: Lengel, G. J., Ammerman, B. A., & Washburn, J. J. (2022). Clarifying the definition of nonsuicidal self-injury: Clinician and researcher perspectives . Crisis: The Journal of Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention, 43 (2), 119–126. Ammerman, B. A., Lengel, G. J., & Washburn, J. J. (2021). Consideration of clinician and researcher opinions on the parameters of nonsuicidal self-injury disorder diagnostic criteria . Psychiatry Research, 296 , 113642. 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

  • The Psychology of Self-Injury Pain

    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

  • 2024

    ISSS Rising Stars About /Awards / ISSS Rising Stars Recognizing Potential ISSS Rising Stars are dedicated early-career researchers, clinicians, or advocates whose work demonstrates potential and commitment to make a significant contribution to the field and to the lives of people with lived experience. 2023 Rising Star Read more Dr Kathryn Fox Dr Fox is an Assistant Professor in the clinical child psychology Ph.D. Program at the University of Denver, where she also directs the Fox Lab in the Department of Psychology. Rising Stars of ISSS 2024 Dr. Taylor Burke Dr. Burke is an Assistant Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital (United States). She also co-leads the Mood and Behavior Lab (MABL) at Harvard Medical School. Read more...

  • Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) for Self-Harm

    Jennifer Hughes, PhD, MPH, from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, describes Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) as an intervention for nonsuicidal self-injury and self-harm. Season 1 | Episode 19 Podcast/ Season 1 | Episode 19 Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) for Self-Harm Nov 5, 2021 with Dr. Jenny Hughes Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) for Self-Harm with Dr. Jenny Hughes 00:00 / 01:04 Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) has been lauded as an evidence-based treatment for addressing suicidal and nonsuicidal thoughts and behaviors. In this episode, Dr. Jenny Hughes explains what DBT is, describes what "dialectical" means, and walks us through how each of the four modules of DBT can be used to address nonsuicidal self-injury and self-harm: (1) Emotion Regulation, (2) Distress Tolerance, (3) Interpersonal Effectiveness, and (4) Mindfulness. She also provides an update on the science behind DBT, including what aspects of the treatment are thought to be most effective in addressing self-injury. To learn more about DBT and opportunities for training in DBT as referenced in this episode, visit Behavioral Tech at https://behavioraltech.org/ . Learn more about Dr. Hughes' work at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center here , and follow her on Twitter at @DrJennyHughes . Watch her 2018 TEDx talk on Resilience: Growth Through Struggle at www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nr44v2__zrU . Below are links to some of her research on DBT among youth: Editorial: Dialectical Behavior Therapy and the Function of Self-Injury (2021) (1) Efficacy of dialectical behavior therapy for adolescents at high risk for suicide: a randomized clinical trial (2018) (2) Predictors and moderators of recurring self-harm in adolescents participating in a comparative treatment trial of psychological interventions (2019) (3) Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Suicidal Self-Harming Youth: Emotion Regulation, Mechanisms, and Mediators (2021). 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 " Top 15 Clinical Psychology Podcasts You Must Follow in 2021 " and by Welp Magazine in their " 20 Best Injury Podcasts of 2021 ." Previous Next

  • ISSS | Awards

    Awards Home / About / Awards Celebrating Achievement, Potential, & Excellence ISSS is proud to recognize excellence in the field through various awards. Read more about each below. Celebrating Excellence Invited Fellows of ISSS are esteemed members who have made outstanding contributions to the field. Through their research, clinical, and/or advocacy work, ISSS Fellows have advanced science and improved the lives of people with lived experience. View More Recognizing Potential ISSS Rising Stars are dedicated early-career researchers, clinicians, or advocates whose work demonstrates potential and commitment to make a significant contribution to the field and to the lives of people with lived experience. View More

  • Treatments for Self-Injury

    About Self-Injury Treatments for Self-Injury Resources / About Self-Injury / Treatments for Self-Injury "It must be person-centred" "Treatment" and "recovery" can mean different things to different people. In general, "treatment" refers to physical (e.g., wound care) and psychological (e.g., DBT) interventions that help people who are self-injuring. Generally, the goal of psychological treatments is to reduce NSSI by targeting the thoughts, emotions, and behaviors that underlie an individual's self-injury. Until recently, few treatments were developed specifically for self-injury. Although there is currently no “gold-standard” treatment for self-injury, several treatments show promise in helping people decrease or stop these behaviors (Calvo et al., 2022; Turner et al., 2014), although the efficacy of treatments is still unclear (Fox et al., 2020). Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) DBT is a psychotherapeutic treatment designed to treat Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), of which NSSI is a common behaviour (Linehan, 1993). It was modified by Miller et al. (2007) to reduce NSSI and suicidality among adolescents, and has shown efficacy to reduce NSSI in multiple studies (Fleischhaker et al., 2011; Pistorello et al., 2012, Stanley et al., 2007). DBT is an intensive treatment lasting 6 months to 2 years and involves weekly individual therapy, group-based skills training, and between-session coaching. DBT integrates behavioral strategies (e.g., behavior analysis, problem-solving strategies, skills training in emotion regulation and interpersonal effectiveness, contingency management) with mindfulness (e.g., nonjudgmental, present-focused attention), and dialectical strategies (e.g., balancing acceptance and change) to reduce self-injury by: Improving emotion regulation Increasing behavioral control Strengthening positive identity Improving interpersonal skills It is important to note that some research shows that DBT is not superior to other treatments in reducing self-injury (e.g., Katz et al., 2004, Nock et al., 2007). Emotion Regulation Group Therapy (ERGT) ERGT was developed as an alternative to DBT, offering a briefer treatment period including 14 weeks of group-based psychotherapy. Unlike DBT, which is intended to treat NSSI in combination with other challenges facing people living with BPD, ERGT focuses solely on NSSI. It integrates components of DBT and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). ERGT treats NSSI in several ways: Increasing awareness, understanding, and acceptance of emotions. By learning more about emotions and how to recognise them, individuals are better equipped to cope with emotional experiences. Improving emotional control and tolerance. Individuals learn how to better control the intensity and duration of their emotions, and develop greater tolerance of uncomfortable emotional experiences. Facilitating behavioral control. Individuals learn how to enact goal-directed behaviors and inhibit impulsive behaviors in response to negative emotions. ERGT was designed as an adjunctive treatment, meaning it is best used in conjunction with, rather than instead of, other types of treatment (such as individual psychotherapy). Several well-designed studies have shown that ERGT is effective in reducing self-injury in adult women living with BPD. A recent feasibility study also suggests that ERGT may be effective in adolescent girls engaging in NSSI. Importantly, research on ERGT has been limited to studies on women; more research is needed to determine whether ERGT is equally effective for men. ERGT was also recently adapted to an individual setting for adolescents (ERIT-A; Bjureberg et al., 2017). An open trial investigating the online delivery of ERIT-A showed a reduction in NSSI, which was strengthened at 3-month follow up, and maintained at 6-month follow-up (Bjureberg et al., 2018). Treatment for Self-Injurious Behaviors (T-SIB) T-SIB is a brief, nine-session intervention conducted weekly on an individual basis (Andover et al., 2017). Designed for young adults engaging in NSSI, T-SIB uses motivational enhancement strategies, functional analysis, and skills training for problem-solving, distress tolerance, cognitive distortions, and interpersonal communication to address self-injury. An initial pilot study of T-SIB found decreased self-injury over the course of treatment; however, further research is needed to see if T-SIB will be effective in other groups of people and to compare T-SIB to other treatments that address self-injury. References Andover, M. S., Schatten, H. T., Morris, B. W., Holman, C. S., & Miller, I. W. (2017). An intervention for nonsuicidal self-injury in young adults: A pilot randomized controlled trial. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology , 85 , 620–631. https://doi.org/10.1037/ccp0000206 Bjureberg, J., Sahlin, H., Hellner, C., Hedman-Lagerlöf, E., Gratz, K. L., Bjärehed, J., Jokinen, J., Tull, M. T., & Ljótsson, B. (2017). Emotion regulation individual therapy for adolescents with nonsuicidal self-injury disorder: A feasibility study. BMC Psychiatry , 17 , Article 411. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-017-1527-4 Bjureberg, J., Sahlin, H., Hedman-Lagerlöf, E., Gratz, K. L., Tull, M. T., Jokinen, J., Hellner, C., & Ljótsson, 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 , Article 326. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-018-1885-6 Calvo, N., Sara García-González, S., Perez-Galbarro, C., Regales-Peco, C., Lugo-Marin, J., Ramos-Quiroga, J.- A., & Ferrer, M. (2022). Psychotherapeutic interventions specifically developed for NSSI in adolescence: A systematic review. European Neuropsychopharmacology , 58 , 86-98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.euroneuro.2022.02.009 Fleischhaker, C., Böhme, R., Sixt, B., Brück, C., Schneider, C., & Schulz, E. (2011). Dialectical behavioral therapy for adolescents (DBT-A): A clinical trial for patients with suicidal and self-injurious behavior and borderline symptoms with a one-year follow-up. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health , 5 , Article 3. https://doi.org/10.1186/1753-2000-5-3 Fox, K. R., Huang, X., Guzmán, E. M., Funsch, K. M., Cha, C. B., Ribeiro, J. D., & Franklin, J. C. (2020). Interventions for suicide and self-injury: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials across nearly 50 years of research. Psychological Bulletin , 146 , 1117-1145. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000305 Katz, L. Y., Cox, B. J., Gunasekara, S., & Miller, A. L. (2004). Feasibility of dialectical behavior therapy for suicidal adolescent inpatients. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry , 43 , 276-282. https://doi.org/10.1097/00004583-200403000-00008 Linehan, M. M. (1993). Cognitive-behavioral treatment of borderline personality disorder . Guilford. Miller, A. L., Rathaus, J. H., & Linehan, M. M. (2007). Dialectical behavior therapy with suicidal adolescents . Guilford. Nock, M. K., Teper, R., & Hollander, M. (2007). Psychological treatment of self-injury among adolescents. Journal of Clinical Psychology , 63 , 1081-1089. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.20415 Pistorello, J., Fruzzetti, A. E., MacLane, C., Gallop, R., & Iverson, K. M. (2012). Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) applied to college students: A randomized clinical trial. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology , 80 , 982–994. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0029096 Stanley, B., Brodsky, B., Nelson, J. D., & Dulit, R. (2007). Brief dialectical behavior therapy (DBT-B) for suicidal behavior and non-suicidal self-injury. Archives of Suicide Research , 11 , 337-341. https://doi.org/10.1080/13811110701542069 Turner, B. J., Austin, S. B., & Chapman, A. L. (2014). Treating nonsuicidal self-injury: A systematic review of psychological and pharmacological interventions. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry , 59 , 576-585. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F070674371405901103

  • Lived Experience: Ellie's Story of Atypical Severe Self-Harm

    Ellie Wildbore from the United Kingdom and National Health Service (NHS) shares her story of lived experience of atypical severe self-injury, her research on self-harm, and her experience as one of the first Lived Experience Research Ambassadors working in NHS mental health. Season 4 | Episode 55 Podcast/ Season 4 | Episode 55 Lived Experience: Ellie's Story of Atypical Severe Self-Harm Nov 29, 2024 Lived Experience: Ellie's Story of Atypical Severe Self-Harm 00:00 / 01:04 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 . Previous Next

  • Example publication title | ISSS

    Research on Self-Injury in Daily Life Home / Special Interest Groups / Research on Self-Injury in Daily Life / Outputs Example publication title Authors, A., Authors, B. Join SIDL Join SIDL to connect with individuals passionate about improving the lives of individuals who have self-injured and their supporters. You'll gain access to members-only content, including xyz... Enter your email here Sign Up Thanks for submitting!

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