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Risk Factors for Self-harm 4

Wednesday, September 1st, 2010

Certain Mental Health Difficulties place People at Greater Risk for Self-harm

Almost two-thirds of people who receive hospital treatment for self-harm are depressed (Haw et al., 2001). People with certain kinds of anxiety disorders may also be more likely to harm themselves (Meltzer et al., 2002). Other severe mental health difficulties, such as schizophrenia, are strongly related to self-harm as well. Nearly 80% of people who suffer from borderline personality disorder (some symptoms include difficulties managing emotions, relationship problems, identity disturbance, and feelings of emptiness) also struggle with self-harm.

People who self-harm often share some common characteristics. For example, many people who self-harm struggle with impulsivity and have difficulty with problem solving (Haw et al., 2001). Also, many people who self-harm have difficulty managing or tolerating negative emotions.

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Risk Factors for Self-harm 3

Sunday, August 1st, 2010

Life Stress is Linked with Greater Risk for Self-harm

Although self-harm is a problem for people of all walks of life, certain factors are linked with greater stress, and therefore may increase the chances of self-harm. For instance, people from low-income families, who are divorced, live alone, or who lack social support may be more at risk for self-harm (Meltzer et al., 2002).

Other stressful and traumatic life events may increase the chance that people use self-harm. For example, people who have suffered abuse, especially sexual abuse, may be more likely to self-harm (Hawton et al., 2002). More immediate stressors, such as conflict in relationships, may trigger self-harm as well. Chronic or acute physical illness also appears to increase risk for self-harm (De Leo et al., 1999).

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Risk Factors for Self-harm 2

Thursday, July 1st, 2010

Both Males and Females Self-harm

As noted in previous blogs, although some studies found that females were more likely to self-harm than men (World Health Organization, 1989), more recent estimates suggest that males may be just as likely as females to self-harm (e.g., Gratz, 2001; Gratz & Chapman, 2007; Klonsky, Oltmanns, & Turkheimer, 2003).

Self-harm is More Common in Adolescence to Early Adulthood

Self-harm typically begins in adolescence. Generally, the rates of self-harm are highest between age fourteen to about mid-twenties (Ross & Heath, 2002), although many people who self-harm are much younger or older (Auseinet, 2007; Pierce, 1987). Self-harm is much more rare among people older than 35 years old.

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Risk Factors for Self-harm 1

Tuesday, June 1st, 2010

Many People Self-harm

A staggering number of people have used self-harm as a way of coping with pain and distress. For example, between 13% and 20% of high school students reported a history of self-harm (Gratz, Conrad, & Roemer, 2002; Hawton et al., 2002; Paivio & McCulloch, 2004; Zoroglu et al., 2003). In the general public, about 4% of the population self-harm (Briere & Gil, 1998; Klonsky, Oltmanns, & Turkheimer, 2003). Given the widespread nature of self-harm, it’s impossible to say that a particular “type” of person self-harms. There are, however, some experiences or situations which may make people more vulnerable to self-harm.

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Why do people harm themselves? Reason 3

Saturday, May 15th, 2010

To get help from or communicate to other people. Sometimes, people use self-harm because it is the only way they can communicate the pain they are experiencing to others. In fact, seeking help from others was the fourth most common reason for engaging in self-harm in one study (Miller & Fritzon, 2007). In the face of emotional turmoil, it can be hard to figure out how to ask for help. Also, sometimes dramatic or shocking behaviour like self-harm works quickly to get peoples’ attention and support. Indeed, some research shows that people who engage in self-harm actually have more difficulty actively solving problems, and may require more help from their social network. When people are desperate and don’t know how else to get help, they might resort to self-harm. This is not to say that people self-harm on purpose to get attention. Rather, the attention and support that people get once in a while when they self-harm can make them more likely to self-harm in the future. We are often unaware of the many things that influence our behaviour. Similarly, people who self-harm often don’t actively think, “I’m doing this to get help.” They may have never learned the skills they need to get help, and self-harm just happens to “work”.

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Why do people harm themselves? Reason 2

Saturday, May 1st, 2010

To punish themselves. Although many people may use self-harm as a way of coping with emotions, it is unclear why some people use self-harm rather than some other coping strategy. One explanation might be that people who self-harm may feel particularly negatively towards themselves (Klonsky, 2008). Linehan (1993) thought that people who self-harm may have been exposed to invalidation (often involving dismissive responses, or minimization of distress) of their emotional experiences and may learn to dismiss their own emotions or feel shame or anger toward themselves. In a study of women with BPD, nearly two-thirds of the participants endorsed self-punishment as a reason for harming themselves (Brown et al., 2002). In another study, nearly three-fourths of adolescents who self-harmed selected self-punishment-like reasons, including “I did not like myself,” or “I was angry at myself” (Laye-Gindhu & Schonert-Reichl, 2005). Overall, however, self-punishment is more likely to be a secondary reason for engaging in self-harm.

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Why do people harm themselves? Reason 1

Thursday, April 15th, 2010

To regulate emotions. The number one most common reason people self-harm is to cope with overwhelming negative emotions. In one study, many people said they self-harmed in order to distract themselves from painful feelings, release anger, reduce tension, or manage stress (Briere & Gil, 1998). In fact, up to 86% of people who self-harm named anxiety relief as a reason for self-harm (Gardner & Gardner, 1975). This may be especially true for people suffering from borderline personality disorder (BPD), who often deal with overwhelming emotions. Among people with BPD who also self-harm, almost all (96%) said they used self-harm “to stop bad feelings” or “to relieve anxiety or terror” (Brown et al., 2002). Although it may be hard for some to understand, people who self-harm often do so after experiencing unbearable negative emotions, and describe feeling calm or relieved after self-harm (Brown et al., 2002). Research shows that when people with a history of self-harm were asked to imagine self-harming in the laboratory, they actually had lower physiological arousal (Brain, Haines, & Williams, 1998; Haines, Williams, Brain, & Wilson, 1995). This may explain why people who self-harm have trouble stopping- unfortunately, self-harm can be one way to cope with overwhelming negative emotions. Therefore, successful treatments for self-harm require learning healthier ways of managing distress.

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Why do people harm themselves?

Tuesday, March 30th, 2010

For some people, it is difficult to fathom why people may end up harming themselves. The next several blogs will shed light on the issue of why some people engage in self-harm. Bottom-line, people often self-harm because it often works, at least in the moment, to endure unbearable pain in the absence of a clear alternative. With hope, a better understanding of why people self-harm will highlight areas where treatments can help reduce the urge to self-harm.

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Myths of Self-harm 5

Monday, March 1st, 2010

Myth 5: People who self-harm are mentally ill.

As indicated earlier in this blog, self-harm is generally a red flag that someone is struggling with emotional distress. This doesn’t mean, however, that all people who self-harm are mentally ill. In particular, many people think that self-harm is a sign of borderline personality disorder or BPD. In fact, many people with BPD (75%) harm themselves at some point during their lives (Gunderson, 2001). So, if you suffer from BPD, you are likely to have self-harmed. This does not mean that you have BPD if you self-harm. The reverse of a true statement is not necessarily true! For instance, “If you are reading this blog, you are likely to be on the computer” is a true statement- The reverse, however, “If you are on a computer, you are likely to be reading this blog” is simply false! Research does show that, among adolescents and college students, over half of people who self-harm did not meet criteria for a psychiatric disorder (Hodgson, 2004).

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Myths of Self-harm 4

Monday, February 15th, 2010

Myth 4: If the injury is not severe, the person’s difficulties are not serious.
Some people may think that, if someone cuts themselves occasionally, it’s not a problem. It is true that some people do not require medical attention for their injuries, and some people never will. On the other hand, there is always a possibility that someone could hurt themselves more seriously than they intended to. This becomes more and more likely as people self-harm. It’s almost as if people develop a tolerance for self-harm- the more they self-harm, the more severe the self-harm has to be in order to reduce their negative emotions in that moment. Also, the more people self-harm, the more confident they get about doing it, and the less concerned they might be about injuries or damage. In addition, self-harm indicates that the person is struggling with something serious- generally, difficulties managing their emotions and coping effectively with stress (e.g., Gratz, 2001). Finally, a history of self-harm actually sets people up to be more likely to commit suicide later on (Joiner, 2002) – in fact, a history of self-harm is one of the best predictors of a suicide attempt. So, although the physical injury may not be immediately severe, the self-harm behaviour often indicates severe coping difficulties, and increases the likelihood of severe harm later on.

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