About Self-Injury What are the Impacts of Self-Injury? Resources / About Self-Injury / What are the Impacts of Self-Injury? "In the short and long term" Self-injury can have varied short- and long-term impacts on individuals, as well as their friends, partners, and families. Short-term In the short-term, many people report that they feel a sense of calm or relief right after they self-injure. However, some people also feel guilty or ashamed and may worry that others will judge them if they found out. Understandably, this can contribute to feelings of anxiety, shame, and isolation. These feelings can also make it hard to reach out for help. In addition to the emotional impacts, physical impacts include injury to the body that may are may not need medical intervention. Some methods of self-injury carry more risk than others when it comes to injuring more severely than intended. Proper wound care is essential to ensure that injuries do not become infected or cause death. Long-term Over the long-term, people who engage in self-injury may report worsening depression or anxiety, physical consequences such as scarring, and difficulties in their close relationships. Parents and caregivers, teachers, and mental health professionals often feel frightened or confused when they find out a young person is engaging in self-injury. Although self-injury is often associated with emotional and social strain, some studies show that the process of addressing, and healing from, self-injury can bring some relationships closer and enhance self-understanding, especially when the person feels well-supported.

Glenn Kiekens, PhD, from KU Leuven University in Belgium discusses how researchers measure self-injury and self-harm in real time using advances in technology. Season 1 | Episode 11 Podcast/ Season 1 | Episode 11 Monitoring Self-Injury in Real Time Apr 23, 2021 with Dr. Glenn Kiekens Monitoring Self-Injury in Real Time with Dr. Glenn Kiekens 00:00 / 01:04 How do we assess self-injury differently than 20-30 years ago? Rather than asking someone to remember how they were thinking and feeling when they last self-injured days, weeks, and even months ago, advances in technology allow researchers and clinicians to monitor self-injury and self-harm in real time, as it occurs. In this episode, Dr. Glenn Kiekens discusses the advantages of adapting real-time monitoring (also known as experience sampling or ecological momentary assessment [EMA]) in researching nonsuicidal self-injury as well as the ethical concerns to consider when doing research in real time. Learn more about Dr. Kiekens and his work in the Center for Contextual Psychiatry at KU Leuven by clicking here . Follow Dr. Kiekens on Twitter @GKiekens . Below are links to some of his research and the resources referenced in this episode: Opening the black box of daily life in non-suicidal self-injury research: With great opportunity comes great responsibility (preprint available at https://psyarxiv.com/yp86x ) Fluctuations in affective states and self-efficacy to resist non-suicidal self-injury as real-time predictors of non-suicidal self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (2020) Consensus statement on ethical & safety practices for conducting digital monitoring studies with people at risk of suicide and related behaviors (Nock et al., 2020) Revealing the form and function of self-injurious thoughts and behaviors: A real-time ecological assessment study among adolescents and young adults (Nock, Prinstein, & Sterba, 2009) Changes in ecological momentary assessment reported affect associated with episodes of nonsuicidal self-Injury (Armey, Crowther, & Miller, 2011) Follow Dr. Westers on Instagram and Twitter (@DocWesters). To join ISSS, visit itriples.org and follow ISSS on Facebook and Twitter (@ITripleS). Previous Next

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 2020 Dr. Brooke Ammerman Dr. Ammerman is a Professor at the University of Notre Dame (United States) where she is Director of the Affect, Suicide, Self-Injury, and Social Triggers (ASSIST) Lab and Co-Director of the Notre Dame Suicide Prevention Initiative. Read more...

Jason Washburn, PhD, ABPP, from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine explains how self-injury and self-harm can effectively and compassionately be managed in inpatient settings. Season 1 | Episode 14 Podcast/ Season 1 | Episode 14 Managing Self-Injury in Inpatient Settings Jun 4, 2021 with Dr. Jason Washburn Managing Self-Injury in Inpatient Settings with Dr. Jason Washburn 00:00 / 01:04 When is it appropriate for someone who engages in nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) to be admitted to an acute psychiatric inpatient program? And how realistic is it to expect no self-injury or self-harm to occur at all while in the hospital? How should hospital staff respond and intervene when someone engages in self-injury while on an inpatient unit? In this episode, Dr. Jason Washburn addresses these questions and discusses how hospital staff can foster empathy and compassion for individuals who self-injure while respecting their autonomy and also keeping them safe. Learn more about Dr. Washburn and his work here . Below are links to some of his work, including his books as editor and new research. To learn more about AMITA Health and its treatment for self-injury, click here . Washburn, J. J. (2014). Self-injury: Simple answers to complex questions . Hoffman Estates, IL: Alexian Brothers Press. Washburn, J. J. (2019). Nonsuicidal self-injury: Advances in research and practice . New York: Routledge. Slesinger, N. C., Hayes, N. A., & Washburn, J. J. (2021). Understanding predictors of change in a day treatment setting for non-suicidal self-injury . Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, and Practice, 94 , 517–535. 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

Home / Awards / Invited Fellow / Dr. Kim L. Gratz Dr. Kim L. Gratz Previous Dr. Kim L. Gratz is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychology at the University of Toledo (United States) who is an influential figure in the study of emotion regulation and self-injury. Her pioneering research on borderline personality disorder, emotion dysregulation, and the mechanisms underlying self-destructive behaviors has shaped modern understanding and treatment approaches. She is recognized for her exceptional clinical insight, innovative research, and her mentorship of emerging clinicians and scientists. Her compassion, intellect, and advocacy have made her a cornerstone of the self-injury research community. Next ISSS Fellow | 2024

Research on Self-Injury in Daily Life Collaboration / Special Interest Groups / Research on Self-Injury in Daily Life Advancing Tangible Benefits The Consortium for Research on Self-Injury in Daily Life (SIDL) is an interdisciplinary and international group of researchers, clinicians, and advocates who aim to build expertise and capacity to better understand, predict, and prevent key NSSI outcomes as they are experienced in individuals' everyday lives. Our Mission Promote person-centered care and the development and implementation of personalized prevention and novel digital interventions in the treatment of NSSI. Better understand the short-term course of NSSI thoughts, urges, and behaviors in daily life, the individual risk and protective factors, and the relationship with long-term change. Consider the responsibilities of studying NSSI in daily life and provide guidance to stakeholders across different cultural and intersectional contexts. Discover More NSSI occurs in interaction with real-world contexts and therefore is best understood in the natural environment . However, studying self-injury in people's daily lives can be challenging. To tackle this challenge, ISSS established a Consortium for Research on Self-Injury in Daily Life at the annual society meeting in 2019. We aim to build expertise and capacity to better understand, predict, and prevent key NSSI outcomes as they are experienced in individuals' everyday lives. Our group consists of graduate students, early-career, mid-career, and senior researchers committed to producing high-quality, ambitious, and scientifically rigorous work, which seeks to develop tangible benefits for people who self-injure. Making use of advances in real-time monitoring (also called experience sampling or ecological momentary assessment) and intensive longitudinal methods, we believe that research on NSSI in everyday life will advance more rapidly when all stakeholders' interests (i.e., individuals with lived experience, their families, researchers, and clinicians) are considered. NSSI is a behavior that occurs in interction with real-world context and therefore is best understood in the natural environment. To tackle this challenge, ISSS established a Consortium for Research on Self-Injury in Daily Life at the annual society meeting in 2019. Representative/s of Research on Self-Injury in Daily Life Glenn Kiekens | Brooke Ammerman glenn.kiekens@kuleuven.be | bammerm1@nd.edu

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Home / Awards / Invited Fellow / Dr. Jason J. Washburn Dr. Jason J. Washburn Previous Dr. Jason J. Washburn is a Clinical Psychologist and Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine (United States). His work spans self-injury, suicide prevention, and adolescent mental health, with a focus on the development of reliable assessment tools and evidence-based treatments. As a clinician, Dr. Washburn brings science and practice together, ensuring that research findings directly inform patient care. He has served in numerous leadership roles advancing child and adolescent psychiatry and psychology. Colleagues and students alike admire his analytical clarity, his deep compassion for youth in crisis, and his tireless commitment to bridging research and real-world impact. Next ISSS Fellow | 2024

Lexy from Australia shares her story of lived experience of self-injury and stigma and how it has influenced her work in researching self-injury and self-harm. Season 1 | Episode 13 Podcast/ Season 1 | Episode 13 Lived Experience of Self-Injury & Stigma: Lexy's Story May 21, 2021 Lived Experience of Self-Injury & Stigma: Lexy's Story 00:00 / 01:04 In this episode, Lexy details her experience of engaging in nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) and the stigma she has encountered as a result of self-injury and self-harm. Lexy is the current Student Representative of the International Society for the Study of Self-Injury (ISSS) and a PhD candidate working in the area of self-injury stigma. She is currently working on multiple projects looking at how self-injury stigma is experienced and how it is portrayed in the media. She has recently published a paper outlining how researchers can better understand self-injury stigma: Stigma and nonsuicidal self-injury: Application of a conceptual framework (Staniland, Hasking, Boyes, & Lewis, 2021) Follow Dr. Westers on Instagram and Twitter (@DocWesters). To join ISSS, visit itriples.org and follow ISSS on Facebook and Twitter (@ITripleS). BIG NEWS! The Psychology of Self-Injury podcast has been rated #5 by Feedspot in their " Top 15 Clinical Psychology Podcasts You Must Follow in 2021 ." Click here to see the full Top 15 list. Previous Next

Moye Xin, PhD, from Xi’an University in China shares insights from his research exploring how conflict about one's gender role may increase risk for engaging in nonsuicidal self-injury and self-harm. Season 5 | Episode 60 Podcast/ Season 5 | Episode 60 Does Conflict About One’s Gender Role Predict Self-Injury? Apr 25, 2025 with Dr. Moye Xin Does Conflict About One’s Gender Role Predict Self-Injury? with Dr. Moye Xin 00:00 / 01:04 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: 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. 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. 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. Previous Next

Collaborative Research Program Home / Collaborative Research Program / 2024 Current Projects The 2024-25 cycle of the ISSS Collaborative Research Program (CRP) is now open for applicants! The ISSS CRP provides an opportunity for doctoral students and early career researchers (less than 5 years post PhD) to work with a leading NSSI researcher, who is not their supervisor, on a dedicated research project. Available CRP opportunities are listed below. Apply Now Proximal mechanisms of NSSI predicting suicide thoughts and behaviors Mentored by: Jennifer Muehlenkamp Read More NSSI and other life-threatening behaviours among adolescents in China Mentored by: Moye Xin Read More Validation of a novel Future Imagery Scale and exploration in a sample of YP with and without NSSI Mentored by: Martina Di Simplicio Read More Characteristics of nonsuicidal self-injury disorder in youth and psychometric evaluation of the Clinician-Administered Nonsuicidal Self-Injury Disorder Index Mentored by: Johan Bjureberg Read More Using real-time monitoring to study social interactions and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) cognitions and behaviors among individuals seeking care Mentored by: Glenn Kiekens and Laurence Claes Read More

Scandinavia Home / Collaboration / Local Chapters / Scandinavia Unifying NSSI-research Velkommen til den danske afdeling af the International Society for the Study of Self-Injury (ISSS). Her vil du finde et overblik over fremtidige og tidligere nationale konferencer, kurser og netværker relateret til selvskade. Derudover vil der her på hjemmesiden fremgå, hvem der fra Danmark er en del af ISSS, samt hvordan man melder sig ind i ISSS. Welcome to the Danish chapter of ISSS. Here you will find an overview of upcoming and past national conferences, courses, and networks related to self-injury. Additionally, on this website, you will be able to see who from Denmark is part of ISSS, as well as how to become a member of ISSS. Upcoming Events View More Member List View More Get Involved! View More