Kaylee Kruzan, PhD, from Northwestern University in Chicago shares about digital apps and online interventions for self-injury and self-harm. Season 2 | Episode 29 Podcast/ Season 2 | Episode 29 Digital Interventions for Self-Harm Sep 30, 2022 with Dr. Kaylee Kruzan Digital Interventions for Self-Harm with Dr. Kaylee Kruzan 00:00 / 01:04 What digital interventions exist for addressing nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI)? And do they and peer-support apps help in reducing NSSI urges and behaviors? What do individuals with lived experience of self-injury say that they look for in app-based technology to address self-injury? In this episode, Dr. Kruzan from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine shares about what her research has revealed and discusses the potential utility of Virtual Reality in the treatment of self-injury and self-harm. Learn more about Dr. Kruzan and her research at https://www.kayleekruzan.com/ , and follow her on Twitter at @KayleeKruzan . Below is some of her research referenced in this episode: Kruzan, K. P., Whitlock, J., & Bazarova, N. N. (2021). Examining the relationship between the use of a mobile peer-support app and self-Injury outcomes: Longitudinal mixed methods study . JMIR Mental Health, 8 (1), e21854. Kruzan, K. P., & Whitlock, J. (2022). Digital media, suicide, and self-injury . In J. Nesi, E. H. Telzer, & M. J. Prinstein (Eds.), Handbook of adolescent digital media use and mental health (pp. 338-362). Cambridge University Press. Kruzan, K. P., Mohr, D., & Reddy, M. (2022). How technologies can support self-Injury self-management: Perspectives of young adults with lived experience of nonsuicidal self-injury . Frontiers in Digital Health, 4 , 913599. Kruzan, K. P., Bazarova, N. N., & Whitlock (2021). Investigating self-injury support solicitations and responses on a mobile peer support application . Proceedings of the 2020 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 5 , 1-14. Kruzan, K. P., & Whitlock, J. L. (in press). Digital interventions for nonsuicidal self-injury. In E. E. Lloyd-Richardson, I. Baetens & J. Whitlock (Eds.), The handbook of nonsuicidal self-injury . Oxford University Press. 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

Marc Wilson, PhD, from Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand shares about cross-cultural representations of self-injury and self-harm. Season 2 | Episode 24 Podcast/ Season 2 | Episode 24 Self-Harm Across Cultures, with Dr. Marc Wilson Apr 29, 2022 with Dr. Marc Wilson Self-Harm Across Cultures, with Dr. Marc Wilson with Dr. Marc Wilson 00:00 / 01:04 Are there countries, races, or ethnicities with higher or lower rates of self-injury? How prevalent is NSSI among indigenous peoples, and what role does culture play in the form, function, and meaning of self-injury? In this episode, Dr. Marc Wilson from Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington in Aotearoa New Zealand shares about cross-cultural representations of self-injury and self-harm. Learn more about Dr. Wilson and his work at https://people.wgtn.ac.nz/Marc.Wilson . Below are links to some of the research referenced in this episode: Sansone, R. A., Wiederman, M. W., & Sansone, L.A. (1998). The Self-Harm Inventory (SHI): development of a scale for identifying self-destructive behaviors and borderline personality disorder . Journal of Clinical Psychology, 54 (7), 973–983. Sansone, R. A., & Sansone, L. A. (2010). Measuring self-harm behavior with the Self-Harm Inventory . Psychiatry (Edgmont), 7 (4), 16-20. Gratz, K. L. (2001). Measurement of deliberate self-harm: Preliminary data on the Deliberate Self-Harm Inventory . Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 23 (4), 253-263. Monto, M. A., McRee, N., & Deryck, F. S. (2018). Nonsuicidal self-injury among a representative sample of US adolescents, 2015 . American Journal of Public Health, 108 , 1042-1048. Favazza, A. R. (2011). Bodies under siege: Self-mutilation, nonsuicidal self-injury, and body modification in culture and psychiatry (3rd ed.). Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press. Wilson, M. S. (in press). Cross-cultural representations of nonsuicidal self-injury. In E. E. Lloyd-Richardson, I. Baetens, & J. Whitlock (Eds.), The handbook of nonsuicidal self-injury . Oxford University Press. 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

Contact Us Home / About / Contact Us Get in touch Please note that this contact form is for general inquiries only. While we offer information and resources about self-injury, ISSS is unable to provide crisis support, clinical services, or treatment. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger or needs urgent help, please contact local emergency mental health services in your area. You can find a list of suggested services at https://www.helpguide.org/find-help First Name Last Name Email What is your message about? * Required Membership Conference Advocacy Research Clinical Publication Other Message Subscribe to the newsletter Send Sent! We'll be in touch soon :)

2023 - 2024 Home / Collaborative Research Program / Real-Time Monitoring of NSSI Using real-time monitoring to study social interactions and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) cognitions and behaviors among individuals seeking care Mentor/s: Glenn Kiekens and Laurence Claes 2024 - 2025 Project Overview Affiliations: Tilburg University & Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Netherlands & Belgium Project description: Recent advances in real-time monitoring technologies (i.e., multiple measurements a day via smartphones) have revolutionized our ability to study NSSI cognitions and behaviors, and its potential psychosocial risk factors, in the natural environment. This CRP project will use real-time monitoring data from the Detection of Acute Risk of Self-Injury (DAILY) project (Kiekens et al., 2023), a 28-day ecological momentary assessment study with six daily assessments among 125 individuals aged 15-39 years receiving inpatient and/or outpatient mental health services. Using an ideation-to-action framework, we will study the relationship between social interactions (e.g., being alone versus with others) and appraisals thereof and its contemporeanous and temporal relationship with both NSSI cognitions (thoughts, urges, and self-efficacy to resist NSSI) and NSSI behavior. We will evaluate whether increased risk for NSSI behavior operates via feelings of loneliness in a within-person mediation model. The introduction, methods, and analysis plan will be postregistred on the Open-Science Framework. Protocol paper of the DAILY project: Kiekens, G., Claes, L., Schoefs, S., Kemme, N. D. F., Luyckx, K., Kleiman, E. M., Nock, M. K., & Myin-Germeys, I. (2023). The Detection of Acute Risk of Self-injury Project: Protocol for an Ecological Momentary Assessment Study Among Individuals Seeking Treatment. JMIR Res Protoc, 12, e46244. https://doi.org/10.2196/46244 Applicants should have the following skills: The project will include an exhaustive review of relevant literature and empirical research and is open to researchers who are interested in clinical research and who have already some experience with more complex modeling approaches (e.g., Dynamic Structural Equation Modelling in Mplus). Junior researcher responsibilities: The researcher will be responsible for writing first drafts of the preregistration and the manuscript. Analyses will be conducted with the support of Dr. Kiekens. Anticipated outcome(s) for junior researcher: We will aim to work towards a conference presentation and publication. Time commitment: Approximately 1 day per week for an academic year Application Deadline: June 1, 2024 Apply Now

Stephen Lewis, PhD, from the University of Guelph in Canada and Immediate Past President of the International Society for the Study of Self-Injury (ISSS) discusses the state of health information about self-injury on the internet and addresses the risks and benefits of seeking self-injury and self-harm content online. Season 1 | Episode 5 Podcast/ Season 1 | Episode 5 Self-Injury and the Internet Jan 29, 2021 with Dr. Stephen Lewis Self-Injury and the Internet with Dr. Stephen Lewis 00:00 / 01:04 What is the quality of online health information related to self-injury and self-harm? What are some of the risks and benefits related to seeking self-injury content on the internet? In this episode, Dr. Lewis details 3 overarching risks and 4 overarching benefits of accessing self-injury content online. He also discusses his research related to the effects of hopeless vs. hopeful comments on YouTube videos about self-injury. To watch Dr. Lewis' TEDx talk about his own lived experience of self-injury on YouTube, visit https://youtu.be/G17iMOw0ar8 . Learn more about self-injury and Dr. Lewis' work at Self-injury Outreach & Support (SiOS) ( http://sioutreach.org/ ). Follow SiOS on Facebook ( https://www.facebook.com/sioutreach ) and Twitter ( https://twitter.com/sioutreach ). Below are links to his research and resources referenced in this episode: Non-suicidal self-injury, youth, and the Internet: What mental health professionals need to know Googling self-injury: The state of health Information obtained through online searches for self-injury The Scope of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury on YouTube Self-Injury Resources: Self-injury Outreach & Support (SiOS) ( http://sioutreach.org/ ) Shedding Light on Self-Injury ( https://www.self-injury.org.au/ ) Self-Injury & Recovery Resources (SIRR) ( www.selfinjury.bctr.cornell.edu ) The International Society for the Study of Self-Injury (ISSS) ( https://itriples.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

2023 - 2024 Home / Collaborative Research Program / FIS Validation Validation of a novel Future Imagery Scale and exploration in a sample of YP with and without NSSI Mentor/s: Martina Di Simplicio 2024 - 2025 Project Overview Affiliation: Imperial College London, United Kingdom Project description: Anticipatory mental imagery of self-injury often precedes engaging in NSSI. Growing evidence suggests it also plays a role in driving urges and facilitating self-injury (Lawrence et al. 2023). However, it remains unknown whether individual differences in the general use of future mental imagery, both of positive and negative valence, might be relevant to NSSI, for example in the form of less frequent or less vivid imagery of future goals and rewards. We developed a novel self-report scale seeking to assess the characteristics of future mental imagery use, the Future Imagery Scale (FIS). Approximately 250 students / young people from the general population completed the scale, as well as 50 YP with NSSI, 50 YP with disordered eating and 50 YP with negative affect but no history of NSSI/other dysregulated behaviours. These were participants from two different studies who also completed various measures of affect, impulsivity and emotion regulation. The aim of the project is to a) assess the psychometric properties of the current scale, 2) explore it's association with NSSI and other mental health measures, and 3) review and develop a final measure of the FIS Applicants should have the following skills: Some data processing skills and statistical skills (e.g. factor analysis, ANOVA); good collaborator. Junior researcher responsibilities: They will process data, conduct analysis under supervision or independently as appropriate and contribute to write-up of results. Anticipated outcome(s) for junior researcher: Exposure to numerous experimental studies in the broad field of NSSI, mental imagery and cognitive mechanism, with opportunities to also support these. Depending on level of writing skills, first or middle authorship on paper. Time commitment: Flexibile weekly hours for 2-8 months Application Deadline: June 1, 2024 Apply Now

2023 - 2024 Home / Collaborative Research Program / Understanding recovery... Understanding NSSI recovery Mentor/s: Penny Hasking & Stephen Lewis 2023 - 2024 Project Overview Data have been collected in Australia and Canada to assess the utility of Lewis & Hasking’s NSSI recovery framework. This person-centred approach reflects the lived experience of NSSI rather than focusing on NSSI cessation. This includes assessing: ongoing thoughts and urges to self-injure, expectations about disclosure, the nature and extent of scarring, resilience, self-efficacy and optimism. We have both qualitative and quantitative data and the final project can be decided with the candidate. Application Deadline: June 11 2023 Apply Now Previous Next

We are an international collaboration of clinicians, researchers, students, and passionate community members dedicated to improving the lives of individuals impacted by non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). Welcome The International Society for the Study of Self-Injury We are an international collaboration of experienced clinicians, exp ert researchers, students, and passionate community members dedicated to improving the lives of individuals impacted by nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). Through four primary goals, we aim to foster well-being and stamp out stigma: Research Conduct and disseminate state-of-the art research to advance the understanding, assessment, treatment, and prevention of NSSI. Care & Support Develop, evaluate, and promote, and provide evidence-based care to advance clinical understanding of NSSI and its treatment across diverse settings. Outreach Engage in public outreach to improve knowledge of evidence-based prevention, assessment, and treatment options for NSSI. Connection Enhance networking, collaboration, and resource sharing among all stakeholders with an interest in improving the lives of people who engage in NSSI.

Why do people self-injure or self-harm? Especially when it seems to contradict our instinct for self-preservation? The simple answer is that for the majority of those who engage in nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI), it helps them to feel better; it’s a coping strategy. But of course, the answer is often more complex than that. Season 1 | Episode 1 Podcast/ Season 1 | Episode 1 Why Do People Self-Injure? Jan 1, 2021 with Dr. Nicholas Westers Why Do People Self-Injure? with Dr. Nicholas Westers 00:00 / 01:04 Self-injury does not reflect typical behavior, but it is also not uncommon. One in five adolescents across the globe reports having self-injured, and one in twenty adolescents in the United States reports having self-injured 6 or more times in the past 12 months. Self-injury isn’t limited to adolescents: 13% of young adults and 6% of adults also report having engaged in self-injury. But why? According to research, there are two primary categories: emotional reasons and social reasons. In this inaugural episode of The Psychology of Self-Injury, Dr. Nicholas Westers delves into these two categories and asks leading experts, an individual with lived experience of self-injury, and a parent of a teen who self-injures: "Why do people self-injure or self-harm?" Follow Dr. Westers on Instagram and Twitter (@DocWesters). To join ISSS, visit itriples.org and follow ISSS on Facebook and Twitter (@ITripleS). Previous Next

Home / Awards / Invited Fellow / Dr. Stephen P. Lewis Dr. Stephen P. Lewis Previous Dr. Stephen P. Lewis is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Guelph (Canada) and one of the world’s leading voices in self-injury research and advocacy. His work explores NSSI, online communities, and how digital spaces can serve as both risks and sources of support for people who self-injure. Dr. Lewis’s research is deeply informed by collaboration with people who have lived experience, and he has been instrumental in shaping more compassionate, stigma-reducing approaches to understanding self-injury. Beyond academia, he is a passionate advocate for mental health awareness and a frequent public speaker whose openness and empathy have inspired countless individuals and researchers worldwide. His work is widely respected for its compassion, insight, and dedication to amplifying the voices of those with lived experience. Next ISSS Fellow | 2025

Penelope Hasking, PhD, from Curtin University in Australia and current President of the International Society for the Study of Self-Injury (ISSS) discusses how the words we use to describe self-injury and those who engage in the behavior may either foster empathy and help-seeking or further stigmatize those who self-injure and self-harm. Season 1 | Episode 4 Podcast/ Season 1 | Episode 4 Self-Injury Stigma and Language Jan 15, 2021 with Dr. Penelope Hasking Self-Injury Stigma and Language with Dr. Penelope Hasking 00:00 / 01:04 What are common ways we talk about self-injury or self-harm that may inadvertently perpetuate stigma about the behavior and those who engage in it? In this episode, Dr. Hasking offers a unique way of thinking about words like "contagious" and "recovery." She also provides insights into the pros and cons of including a Nonsuicidal Self-Injury Disorder as a potential formal diagnosis in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). Learn more about self-injury and Dr. Hasking's work at Shedding Light on Self-Injury ( https://www.self-injury.org.au/ ). Below are links to some of her research referenced in this episode: Cutting words: A commentary on language and stigma in the context of nonsuicidal self-injury Self-injury recovery: A person-centered framework Stigma and nonsuicidal self-injury: Application of a conceptual framework Follow Dr. Westers on Instagram and Twitter (@DocWesters). To join ISSS, visit itriples.org and follow ISSS on Facebook and Twitter (@ITripleS). Previous Next

Stephen Lewis, PhD, & Penelope Hasking, PhD, introduce a new way of thinking about self-injury, self-harm, and recovery. Season 3 | Episode 36 Podcast/ Season 3 | Episode 36 Self-Injury Recovery: A Person-Centered Approach Apr 28, 2023 with Drs. Stephen Lewis & Penny Hacking Self-Injury Recovery: A Person-Centered Approach with Drs. Stephen Lewis & Penny Hacking 00:00 / 01:04 In this episode, ISSS Past Presidents Dr. Stephen Lewis from the University of Guelph in Canada, and Dr. Penelope Hasking from Curtin University in Australia talk about a new way of understanding self-injury and self-harm, with a special focus on recovery. In their person-centered approach, they emphasize the perspective of lived experience, move away from a "why don't you just stop" mentality, normalize ongoing self-injury thoughts and urges, and discuss strengths, scarring, and disclosures. Follow Drs. Lewis and Hasking on Twitter at @SPLewisPhD and @PennyHasking . Keep up with Dr. Lewis' non-profit outreach organization Self-Injury Outreach & Support at @sioutreach , and follow Dr. Hasking's research in the Emotional Health and Self-Injury Research Group at @NSSI_RG . Below are links to their book and a couple of their articles referenced in this episode: Lewis, S. P., & Hasking, P. A. (2023). Understanding self-injury: A person-centered approach . Oxford University Press. Lewis, S. P., & Hasking, P. A. (2021). Understanding self-injury: A person-centered approach . Psychiatric Services, 72 (6), 721-723. Lewis, S. P., & Hasking, P. (2019). Putting the “self” in self-injury research: Inclusion of people with lived experience in the research process . Psychiatric Services, 70 (11), 1058-1060. To read more about person-first language and identity-first language when referencing autism, click here and also visit https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36237135/ . To read about language used to discuss race and ethnicity, click here . 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