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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

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

Sarah Swannell, PhD, a psychologist in private practice in Australia and Lecturer at the University of Queensland discusses the prevalence and characteristics of self-injury and self-harm among individuals over age 40. Season 2 | Episode 27 Podcast/ Season 2 | Episode 27 Self-Injury Over Age 40 Jul 29, 2022 with Dr. Sarah Swannell Self-Injury Over Age 40 with Dr. Sarah Swannell 00:00 / 01:04 What is the prevalence of self-injury among adults over age 40? And what differentiates those who report having stopped self-injuring from those who continue to self-injure? How do they differ from those under age 25 who self-injure, including related to suicidal thoughts and behaviors? In this episode, psychologist Dr. Sarah Swannell from Australia discusses the prevalence of self-injury and self-harm among individuals over age 40 and stigma around the behavior. Learn more about Dr. Swannell and her work at https://sarahswannell.com.au/ . Below are links to some of her research referenced in this episode: Martin, G., & Swannell, S. (2016). Non-suicidal self-injury in the over 40s: Results from a large national epidemiological survey . Epidemiology, 6 (5), 266. Martin, G., Swannell, S. V., Hazell, P. L., Harrison, J. E., & Taylor, A. W. (2010). Self-injury in Australia: a community survey . Medical Journal of Australia, 193 (9), 506-510. (Australian National Epidemiological Study of Self-Injury [ANESSI]) Troya, M. I., Dikomitis, L., Babatunde, O. O., Bartlam, B., & Chew-Graham, C. A. (2019). Understanding self-harm in older adults: A qualitative study . EClinical Medicine, 12 , 52-61. 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

Self-Injury in Educational Settings Collaboration / Special Interest Groups / Self-Injury in Educational Settings Empowering Students and Educators ICSES is an interdisciplinary and international research group focused on prevention and intervention in educational settings. Our Mission Better understand the individual and contextual factors that underlie NSSI in educational settings to inform effective prevention and intervention. Develop and disseminate internationally relevant, evidence-based resources and guidance for students, educators, and families. Foster international and interdisciplinary collaborations to bring together expert knowledge, improving access to resources, support, and guidance. Discover More Adolescence and emerging adulthood are particularly turbulent periods of human development; understanding how NSSI is initiated and maintained, and how resilience is built throughout this period is crucial to the development of successful prevention and intervention initiatives. Yet, the high rate of NSSI among students in schools and colleges poses unique challenges within these educational settings. These include (but are not limited to): How to support students who self-injure, and the friends they confide in Information provision and gatekeeper training for staff, students, and parents Determining how staff in education settings, parents, and young people can work together to address NSSI in the educational environment Developing effective referral pathways Legal and ethical issues relating to confidentiality and duty of care How to talk safely about NSSI within educational settings How to minimize associated risk factors/consequences including deteriorating academic performance, being bullied, and poor social connectedness How to prevent NSSI and develop effective early intervention ICSES aims to tackle these challenges, and others related to the educational environment, through a dedicated, interdisciplinary and international research program. Representative/s of Self-Injury in Educational Settings

Lisa Van Hove, PhD, from Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Brussels University) in Belgium reveals the prevalence and characteristics of self-injury and self-harm among older adults (ages 60+). Season 5 | Episode 61 Podcast/ Season 5 | Episode 61 Self-Harm in Older Adults May 30, 2025 with Dr. Lisa Van Hove Self-Harm in Older Adults with Dr. Lisa Van Hove 00:00 / 01:04 Just how prevalent is self-injury among older adults, specifically those ages 60 and over? 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. Lisa Van Hove from Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Brussels University) is the first to reveal the prevalence of self-injury and self-harm among older adults. To read Dr. Van Hove's info brief on NSSI in older adults through the Cornell Research Program on Self-Injury and Recovery Resources (SIRR), visit https:// www.selfinjury.bctr.cornell.edu/perch/resources/older-adult-fact-sheet-1.pdf . To see Dr. Van Hove's publications, including those about self-injury among older adults, click here . Connect with Dr. Van Hove on LinkedIn here . Below is some of her research and that of others referenced in this episode: Van Hove, L., Baetens, I., Hamza, C., Dierckx, E., Haekens, A., Fieremans, L., & Vanderstichelen, S. (2023). NSSI in older adults . In E.E. Lloyd-Richardson, I. Baetens, & J. Whitlock (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of nonsuicidal self-injury (pp. 572-592). Oxford University Press. Van Hove, L., Baetens, I., & Vanderstichelen, S. (2025). Psychogeriatric experts’ experiences with risk factors of suicidal and non-suicidal self-injury in older adults: A qualitative study . Qualitative Research in Medicine and Healthcare , 8 (1). Van Hove, L., Baetens, I., & Vanderstichelen, S. (2024). Conceptualizing self-harm through the experiences of psychogeriatric experts . Psychopathology , 57 (4), 277-285. Van Hove, L., Nieuwenhuijs, B. M., Vanderstichelen, S., De Witte, N., Gorus, E., Stas, L., & Baetens, I. (2025). Biopsychosocial profile of community-dwelling older adults at risk for direct and indirect self-harm . Clinical Gerontologist , 1–12. Van Hove, L., Facon M., Baetens, I., Vanderstichelen, S., Dierckx, E., Van Alphen, S.P.J., Stas, L., & Rossi, G. (2025). Development of an at-risk personality profile for (in)direct self-harm engagement in older age . Journal of Personality Disorders, 39 (3), 240-262. Murphy, E., Kapur, N., Webb, R., Purandare, N., Hawton, K., Bergen, H., Waters, K., & Cooper, J. (2012). Risk factors for repetition and suicide following self-harm in older adults: multicentre cohort study . British Journal of Psychiatry, 200 (5), 399-404. Martin, G., & Swannell, S. (2016). Non-suicidal self-injury in the over 40s: Results from a large national epidemiological survey . Epidemiology (Sunnyvale), 6 (5), 266. Choi, N. G., DiNitto, D. M., Marti, C. N., & Choi, B. Y. (2016). Nonsuicidal self-injury and suicide attempts among ED patients older than 50 years: comparison of risk factors and ED visit outcomes . The American Journal of Emergency Medicine, 34 (6), 1016-1021. Ose, S. O., Tveit, T., & Mehlum, L. (2021). Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in adult psychiatric outpatients – A nationwide study . Journal of Psychiatric Research, 133 , 1-9. Wiktorsson, S., Strömsten, L., Renberg, E. S., Runeson, B., & Waern, M. (2022). Clinical characteristics in older, middle-aged and young adults who present with suicide attempts at psychiatric emergency departments: A multisite study . The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 30 (3), 342-351. Gratz, K. L., & Tull, M. T. (2025). Acceptance-based emotion regulation therapy: A clinician’s guide to treating emotion dysregulation & self-destructive behaviors using an evidence-based therapy drawn from ACT & DBT . Context Press. Previous Next

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

Janis Whitlock, PhD, from Cornell University and Senior Advisor for The JED Foundation explains what parents and caregivers should look for if they suspect their child is engaging in self-injury. She also discusses how caregivers can effectively talk to their child about self-injury and self-harm and when to seek therapy. Season 1 | Episode 3 Podcast/ Season 1 | Episode 3 Parenting Youth Who Self-Injure Jan 1, 2021 with Dr. Janis Whitlock Parenting Youth Who Self-Injure with Dr. Janis Whitlock 00:00 / 01:04 If you suspect that your child might be engaging in self-injury, how do you start the conversation and how often should you check in with your child so that you are not being too invasive? How can parents safely set rules if they fear their child might self-injure in response to these rules? In this episode, we answer these questions and more as we talk about how parents and loved ones can foster healing for their children who self-injure or self-harm as well as for themselves. Dr. Whitlock’s book “Healing Self-Injury: A Compassionate Guide for Parents and Other Loved Ones” is available on Amazon ( www.amazon.com/Healing-Self-Injury-Compassionate-Guide-Parents/dp/0199391602 ). Dr. Whitlock is a Research Scientist in the Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research at Cornell University and the founder and director of the Self-Injury & Recovery Resources (SIRR) research program, which serves as one of the best and most comprehensive collations of online resources about self-injury: www.selfinjury.bctr.cornell.edu . It is a go-to resource for parents, therapists, friends, family members, schools, other caring adults, the media, and individuals with lived experience of self-injury. Follow them on Instagram @cornell_crpsir. Dr. Whitlock is also Senior Advisor for The JED Foundation . To learn more about The JED Foundation, visit https://www.jedfoundation.org/ . Follow Dr. Westers on Instagram and Twitter (@DocWesters). To join ISSS, visit itriples.org and follow ISSS on Facebook and Twitter (@ITripleS). Previous Next

Rachel Acheson, PhD, and Maria Papadima, PhD, from the Association of Child Psychotherapists in London describe how today's "adolescent crisis," including self-injury and self-harm, is often expressed through mental health language. Season 3 | Episode 39 Podcast/ Season 3 | Episode 39 Youth Crisis, Self-Harm, & Mental Health Language Jul 28, 2023 with Drs. Rachel Acheson & Maria Papadima Youth Crisis, Self-Harm, & Mental Health Language with Drs. Rachel Acheson & Maria Papadima 00:00 / 01:04 ! Widget Didn’t Load Check your internet and refresh this page. If that doesn’t work, contact us. Previous Next

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

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

Kirsty from New Zealand shares her story of lived experience of self-injury and how her experiences inform her work in advocating for, and instilling hope in, others with similar stories of self-harm. Season 2 | Episode 30 Podcast/ Season 2 | Episode 30 Lived Experience: Kirsty's Story of Self-Injury & Advocacy Oct 28, 2022 Lived Experience: Kirsty's Story of Self-Injury & Advocacy 00:00 / 01:04 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 ." Previous Next

Biological Research in NSSI Collaboration / Special Interest Groups / Biological Research in NSSI Uncovering Underlying Mechanisms More information on the Biological Research in NSSI Special Interest Group to come! Our Mission More information on the Biological Research in NSSI Special Interest Group to come! More information on the Biological Research in NSSI Special Interest Group to come! More information on the Biological Research in NSSI Special Interest Group to come! Discover More More information on the Biological Research in NSSI Special Interest Group to come! Representative/s of Biological Research in NSSI More information on the Biological Research in NSSI Special Interest Group to come! More information on the Biological Research in NSSI Special Interest Group to come!