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

Lotte Rubæk, MSc, from Denmark discusses the role of social media among individuals who self-injure as well as why she resigned from her role on Meta's (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp) self-harm global expert panel. Season 4 | Episode 50 Podcast/ Season 4 | Episode 50 Social Media, Meta, & Self-Injury Jun 28, 2024 with Lotte Rubæk Social Media, Meta, & Self-Injury with Lotte Rubæk 00:00 / 01:04 In this episode, Lotte Rubæk, MSc, who leads the Self-Injury Team in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in the Capital Region of Denmark, talks about why interaction on image-based social media platforms like Instagram can be particularly appealing to young people who self-harm. She discusses the dynamics that can arise between users in the more closed social media networks, and she explains why she so publicly resigned from Meta's global expert panel on self-harm after serving on it for 3.5 years. Connect with Lotte on LinkedIn here , and read The Guardian's article about her decision to resign from Meta here . Listen to her podcast, Selvskadens Psykologi , which means The Psychology of Self-Injury in Danish, here . Read about the U.S. Surgeon General's May 2023 advisory about the effects social media use has on youth mental health here , and read about his June 2024 call on Congress to require warning labels on social media platforms and their effects on young people’s lives here . Below are Lotte's two book chapters in the new Oxford Handbook of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury and a few additional papers related to social media and self-injury: Rubæk, L., & Møhl, B. (2023). Direct and indirect self-injury . In E. E. Lloyd-Richardson, I. Baetens, & J. Whitlock (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of nonsuicidal self-injury (pp. 41-71). Oxford University Press. Møhl, B., & Rubæk, L. (2023). Understanding the link between direct and indirect self-injurious behavior . In E. E. Lloyd-Richardson, I. Baetens, & J. Whitlock (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of nonsuicidal self-injury (pp. 680-701). Oxford University Press. Westers, N. J., Lewis, S. P., Whitlock, J., Schatten, H. T., Ammerman, B., Andover, M. S., & Lloyd-Richardson, E. E.(2021). Media guidelines for the responsible reporting and depicting of non-suicidal self-injury . The British Journal of Psychiatry, 219 (2), 415-418. Zhu, L., Westers, N. J.,Horton, S. E., King, J. D., Diederich, A., Stewart, S. M., & Kennard, B. D. (2016). Frequency of exposure to and engagement in nonsuicidal self-injury among inpatient adolescents . Archives of Suicide Research, 20 (4), 580-590. Bridge, J. A., Greenhouse, J. B., Ruch, D., Stevens, J., Ackerman, J., Sheftall, A. H., Horowitz, L. M., Kelleher, K. J., & Campo, J. V. (2020). Association between the release of Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why and suicide rates in the United States: An interrupted time series analysis . Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 59 (2), 236-243. 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

ISSS Invited Fellows Home /Awards / Invited Fellows 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. 2026 Invited Fellows To be announced To be announced 2025 Dr. Stephen P. Lewis Dr. Lewis is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Guelph. Read more 2025 Dr. Penelope A. Hasking Dr. Hasking is a Distinguished Professor of Psychology at Curtin University. Read more 2024 Dr. Jason J. Washburn Dr. Washburn is a Professor and the Chief of Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Northwestern University. Read more 2024 Dr. Kim L. Gratz Dr. Gratz is a writer, clinician, and an affiliated faculty member at the University of Toledo. Read more 2023 Dr. Nancy L. Heath Dr. Heath is a Professor at McGill University in the Department of Educational & Counselling Psychology. Read more 2023 Dr. Laurence Claes Dr. Claes is a Professor at Ku Leuven in the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences. Read more 2022 Dr. Janis L. Whitlock Dr. Whitlock is a developmental psychologist and public health specialist specializing in the mental health of adolescents and young people. Read more 2022 Dr. Paul L. Plener Dr. Plener is a Professor at the Medical University of Vienna where he is Head of the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Read more 2021 Dr. Barent W. Walsh Dr. Walsh is a Clinical Social Worker and author. Read more 2021 Dr. Jennifer J. Muehlenkamp Dr. Muehlenkamp is a Professor at the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire. Read more

Kirsty Hird, PhD, from The Kids Research Institute Australia explains in depth why people self-injure or self-harm according to six specific theoretical models of nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). Season 5 | Episode 62 Podcast/ Season 5 | Episode 62 Why Do People Self-Injure? Part 2 Jun 27, 2025 with Dr. Kirsty Hird Why Do People Self-Injure? Part 2 with Dr. Kirsty Hird 00:00 / 01:04 Dr. Kirsty Hird, a Research Officer in the Youth Mental Health team at The Kids Research Institute Australia, adds to Episode 1 of The Psychology of Self-Injury podcast by explaining in depth and in layman's terms why people self-injure according to the six most common/popular theoretical models. Connect with Dr. Hird on LinkedIn here , view her staff profile here , and follow her on ResearchGate here . Below are two of her papers related to today's interview as well as a few other resources referenced in this episode: Hird, K., Hasking, P., & Boyes, M. (2023). A comparison of the theoretical models of NSSI . In E.E. Lloyd-Richardson, I. Baetens, & J. Whitlock (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of nonsuicidal self-injury (pp. 24-40). Oxford University Press. Hird, K., Hasking, P., & Boyes, M. (2022). Relationships between outcome expectancies and non-suicidal self-injury: Moderating roles of emotion regulation difficulties and self-efficacy to resist self-injury . Archives of Suicide Research, 26 (4), 1688-1701. Gray, N., Uren, H., Pemberton, E., & Boyes, M. (2023). Profiling ambivalence in the context of nonsuicidal self-injury . Journal of Clinical Psychology, 79(8) , 1699-1712. Ramsey, W. A., Berlin, K. S., Del Conte, G., Lightsey, O. R., Schimmel-Bristow, A., Marks, L. R., & Strohmer, D. C. (2021). Targeting self-criticism in the treatment of nonsuicidal self-injury in dialectical behavior therapy for adolescents: a randomized clinical trial . Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 26 (4), 320-330. Gratz, K., & Tull, M. (2025). 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 . Harbinger Press. Below are links to the original 6 theoretical models discussed in this episode: Four Function Model - Nock, M. K., & Prinstein, M. J. (2004). A functional approach to the assessment of self-mutilative behavior . Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 72 (5), 885–890. Experiential Avoidance Model - Chapman, A. L., Gratz, K. L., & Brown, M. Z. (2006). Solving the puzzle of deliberate self-harm: The experiential avoidance model . Behaviour Research and Therapy, 44 (3), 371–394. Emotional Cascade Model - Selby, E. A., & Joiner, T. E. (2009). Cascades of emotion: The emergence of borderline personality disorder from emotional and behavioral dysregulation . Review of General Psychology, 13 (3), 219–229. Integrated Model - Nock, M. K. (2010). Self-injury . Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 6 (1), 339–363. Cognitive-Emotional Model - Hasking, P., Whitlock, J., Voon, D., & Rose, A. (2017). A cognitive-emotional model of NSSI: Using emotion regulation and cognitive processes to explain why people self-injure . Cognition and Emotion, 31 (8), 1543–1556. Barriers and Benefits Model - Hooley, J. M., & Franklin, J. C. (2018). Why do people hurt themselves? A new conceptual model of nonsuicidal self-injury . Clinical Psychological Science, 6 (3), 428–451. Previous Next

2023 - 2024 Home / Collaborative Research Program / NSSI in Chinese Adolescents NSSI and other life-threatening behaviours among adolescents in China Mentor/s: Moye Xin 2024 - 2025 Project Overview Affiliation: Xhaanxi Normal University, China Project Description: My research interests mainly focus on a combination with Life-threatening behaviors (e.g., NSSI and suicidal behaviors) among other minorities (e.g., adolescents and young adults at risk) and gender study, then try to figure out the mechanism of them, with the perspective of social science and psychological methodology, meanwhile, cooperating with international platforms, if possible. Applicants should have the following skills: Basic skills of data analysis, literature review and a little bit of mind of innovation Junior researcher responsibilities: Collecting literatures and revelant data, drafting manuscripts based on their own research interests Anticipated outcome(s) for junior researcher: Able to start your own research by choosing frontiers of research field, and start to write basic literature reviews and do some basic data analysis. Time commitment: 3 days per week for 1 year Application Deadline: June 1, 2024 Apply Now

About Self-Injury Self-Injury and Suicide Resources / About Self-Injury / Self-Injury and Suicide "Related but not the same" The relationship between NSSI and suicide is complex. Although NSSI is not a suicidal behavior itself, it is a reliable predictor of later suicidal thoughts, plans, and attempts (Kiekens et al., 2018, Ribeiro et al., 2016). So, why is this the case? There are lots of factors that contribute to the relationship between NSSI and suicidal behaviours. A recent review by Griep and MacKinnon (2020) found that past-year NSSI frequency and depressive symptoms increase an individual's risk of attempting suicide. There were mixed findings regarding age and sex differences. Suicidality can fluctuate over time. It is important to continually check in with clients and loved ones regarding their self-injury and suicidality. References Kiekens, G., Hasking, P., Boyes, M., Claes, L., Mortier, P., Auerbach, R. P., Cuijpers, P., Demyttenaere, K., Greene, J. G., Kessler, R. C., Myin-Germeys, I., Nock, M. K., & Bruffaerts, R. (2018). The associations between non-suicidal self-injury and first onset suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Journal of Affective Disorders , 239 , 171-179. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2018.06.033 Griep, S. K., & MacKinnon, D. F. (2020). Does nonsuicidal self-injury predict later suicidal attempts? A review of studies. Archives of Suicide Research , 26 , 428-446. https://doi.org/10.1080/13811118.2020.1822244 Ribeiro, J. D., Franklin, J. C., Fox, K. R., Bentley, K. H., Kleiman, E. M., Chang, B. P., & Nock, M. K. (2015). Self-injurious thoughts and behaviors as risk factors for future suicide ideation, attempts, and death: A meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. Psychological Medicine , 46 , 225-236. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291715001804

Yukari Seko, PhD, from Ryerson University in Canada describes how self-injury is depicted in various genres of Japanese manga and how graphic novels like manga can be utilized for good in understanding and treating self-injury and self-harm. Season 1 | Episode 17 Podcast/ Season 1 | Episode 17 Self-Injury in Japanese Manga Sep 3, 2021 with Dr. Yukari Seko Self-Injury in Japanese Manga with Dr. Yukari Seko 00:00 / 01:04 Manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Not only do manga reveal and reinforce cultural values, beliefs, and norms, particularly in Japan, but they can also be used as a teaching tool and source of information. Manga and other comics can be used in medicine to learn and teach about illness and to build empathy. They also have the power to shape public understanding of mental health issues, even nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). In this episode, Dr. Yukari Seko explains how self-injury and the characters who engage in the behavior are portrayed in Japanese manga. She also discusses the importance of manga within Japanese culture. Below is a reference (with a link) to her research paper along with a breakdown of common genres of manga and, based on her study, just how many characters within each genre engage in self-injury and self-harm: GENRES OF MANGA (& the number of characters depicted who self-injure, based on Dr. Seko's study): 1. shōjo : comics for girls 18 and younger (written for girls, by girls) - depicted 10 characters who self-injure 2. shōnen : comics for boys 18 and younger (written for boys, by boys, about boys) - depicted 0 characters 3. seinen : comics for young males age 18-30 - depicted 6 characters , portrayed as menhera (a derivation of " men tal heal th- er ," a person with mental instability or "mentally vulnerable damsels in distress") 4. josei : comics for young females 18-30 - depicted 1 character 5. Boy's Love : a subgenre of josei manga featuring erotic relationships between male characters - depicted 1 character 6. seijen : comics for grownups - depicted 0 characters 7. redicomi : "Lady's Comic" for adult women - depicted 0 characters 8. slice-of-life : genre that features realistic depictions of everyday life. Seko, Y., & Kikuchi, M. (2021). Self-injury in Japanese manga: A content analysis . Journal of Medical Humanities, 42 (3), 355-369. Seko, Y., & Kikuchi, M. (2022). Mentally ill and cute as hell: Menhera girls and portrayals of self-injury in Japanese popular culture . Frontiers in Communication, 7 . To learn more about Dr. Seko and her work at Ryerson University, visit https://www.ryerson.ca/procom/people/yukari-seko/ . To learn more about graphic medicine and novels referenced in this episode, see Williams, I. C. M. (2012). Graphic medicine: comics as medical narrative . Medical Humanities, 38 (1), 21-27. 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

Janis Whitlock, PhD, from Cornell University and Senior Advisor for The JED Foundation explains how caregivers with lived experience of self-injury can navigate conversations with their children about their own history of self-harm, and how parents can manage heightened limits to confidentiality when their child who self-injures turns 18 while in therapy. Season 5 | Episode 65 Podcast/ Season 5 | Episode 65 Parenting with Lived Experience of Self-Injury Sep 26, 2025 with Dr. Janis Whitlock Parenting with Lived Experience of Self-Injury with Dr. Janis Whitlock 00:00 / 01:04 Two topics are covered in this episode: (1) how parents with lived experience of nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) can navigate conversations with their children about their own scarring and wounds, and (2) how parents (with or without lived experience) can navigate conversations about self-injury with their young adult children when they turn 18. Dr. Whitlock is emerita research faculty at Cornell University, a former Associate Director of the Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research, 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. Dr. Whitlock is also Senior Advisor for The JED Foundation. To learn more about The JED Foundation, visit https://www.jedfoundation.org/ . Below is some of the work referenced in this episode: Whitlock, J., & Lloyd-Richardson, E. E. (2019). Healing self-injury: A compassionate guide for parents and other loved ones . Oxford University Press. Taliaferro, L. A., Jang, S. T., Westers, N. J., Muehlenkamp, J. J., Whitlock, J. L., & McMorris, B. J. (2020). Associations between connections to parents and friends and non-suicidal self-injury among adolescents: The mediating role of developmental assets . Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 25 (2), 359-371. Kibitov, A. A., & Mazo, G. E. (2023). Genetics and epigenetics of nonsuicidal self-injury: A narrative review . Russian Journal of Genetics, 59 (12), 1265-1276. Dawkins, J., Hasking, P., & Boyes, M. (2021). Knowledge of parental nonsuicidal self-injury in young people who self-injure: The mediating role of outcome expectancies . Journal of Family Studies, 27 (4), 479–490. Previous Next

2023 - 2024 Home / Collaborative Research Program / NSSI and STB Prediction Proximal mechanisms of NSSI predicting suicide thoughts and behaviors Mentor/s: Jennifer Muehlenkamp 2024 - 2025 Project Overview Affiliation: University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire Project description: Very little is known about the short-term temporal course of NSSI in relation to suicidal behavior, and information about possible mechanisms that facilitate, or reduce, transition to suicidal behavior among those engaging in NSSI is sparse. This project aims to provide data filling gaps in the suicide research by conducting a micro-longitudinal study of transdiagnostic processes believed to interact with and influence risk for suicidal behavior conferred by NSSI. Using the Integrative-Motivational-Volitional (IMV) theory of suicide as a guide, the current study proposes that variability in sleep quality and emotional reactivity will interact with self-perceptions and perceived social connectedness to influence NSSI features and mechanisms of risk to predict near-term, acute, change in suicidal behavior. Young adults reporting current NSSI and suicidal ideation will wear actigraph watches (to obtain sleep data) and complete daily diary assessments of the study variables along with weekly lab-based assessment for 4 weeks, and complete 1- and 2-month follow-ups. Multi-level modeling analyses will examine the moderating effects of sleep and emotional reactivity on the proposed risk-processes to influence NSSI and suicidal behaviors over days, weeks, and months. The results will provide novel and essential information to the field of suicidology by advancing current knowledge about acute risk for suicide and have potential to significantly impact clinical practice by identifying specific, modifiable markers of risk that can translate into clinical targets for assessment and intervention strategies. Applicants should have the following skills: Multi-level modeling /SEM / longitudinal data analytic statistical knowledge, scientific writing experience Junior researcher responsibilities: Assist with data analysis and write up of manuscript; Can conceptualize own research question/project from existing data and co-create a manuscript Anticipated outcome(s) for junior researcher: Peer-reviewed manuscript, Conference presentation(s) Time commitment: Approximately 1 day per week for 4-6 months Application Deadline: June 1, 2024 Apply Now

Mallory Dobias, MA, from Stony Brook University describes Project SAVE, an online, single-session intervention for nonsuicidal self-injury and self-harm. Season 2 | Episode 23 Podcast/ Season 2 | Episode 23 Single-Session Intervention for Self-Harm Mar 31, 2022 with Mallory Dobias Single-Session Intervention for Self-Harm with Mallory Dobias 00:00 / 01:04 According to a 2020 national survey by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), among 52.9 million adults with any mental illness in the United States, 46.2% received mental health services in the past year, which means more than half did not. Although there are known, effective treatments for mental disorders, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that more than 75% of people in low- and middle-income countries receive no treatment. In this episode, Mallory Dobias, MA, a Clinical Psychology PhD student at Stony Brook University in New York discusses an online, brief single-session intervention for nonsuicidal self-injury and self-harm, allowing for more accessible treatment options. You can find Mallory's open access pre-print paper on PsyArXiv at https://psyarxiv.com/jprcg and its peer-reviewed final publication in the journal Behaviour Research and Therap y by clicking here . To find the pdf version of the intervention in Open Science Framework (OSF) visit https://osf.io/vguf4/ . To find the project summary of Project SAVE (Stop Adolescent Violence Everywhere), visit www.schleiderlab.org/completed-projects.html . Follow Mallory on Twitter at @MalloryDobias and learn more about her work with the Lab for Scalable Mental Health at www.schleiderlab.org/ and her work with the Fox Lab at Denver University at www.foxlabdu.com/ . 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

A mother shares her experience of when she learned about her daughter's self-injury and self-harm and how she responded as a parent. Season 1 | Episode 6 Podcast/ Season 1 | Episode 6 A Mother's Perspective of Her Daughter's Self-Injury Feb 12, 2021 A Mother's Perspective of Her Daughter's Self-Injury 00:00 / 01:04 Imagine receiving a phone call from your child's school expressing concern that your child might be suicidal. This is Dee's story. In this episode she shares about how she was able to differentiate between self-harm of suicide and nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI), support her daughter through the process, connect her to therapy, and what advice she has for parents in similar circumstances. Follow Dr. Westers on Instagram and Twitter (@DocWesters). To join ISSS, visit itriples.org and follow ISSS on Facebook and Twitter (@ITripleS). Previous Next