pediatrics
Nonsuicidal Self Injury (NSSI) in Children and Adolescents
Introduction
Nonsuicidal self-injurious behaviors occur mostly in adolescents and can include superficial scratching, cutting, or burning the skin (using cigarettes or curling irons), as well as stabbing, hitting, and repeated rubbing of the skin with an eraser or salt, in the absence of an intent to die. (See also Nonsuicidal Self-Injury (NSSI) in adults.) Some but not all ( General references ) of these adolescents have other co-occurring disorders such as In many adolescents, self-injurious behaviors do not indicate Suicidal Behavior in Children and Adolescents but instead are self-punishing actions that they may feel they deserve; these behaviors are used to gain the attention of parents and/or significant others, express anger, regulate negative emotions, or identify with a peer group. However, these adolescents, especially those who have used multiple methods of self-harm, are likely to have other co-occurring psychiatric disorders (as noted above) and increased risk of suicide ( All self-injurious behaviors should be evaluated by a clinician experienced in working with troubled adolescents to assess whether suicidality is an issue and to identify the underlying distress leading to the self-injurious behaviors ( General references ). 