Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI) is clinically defined as any form of intentional self-inflicted damage of body tissue, without suicidal intent and for purposes not culturally or socially sanctioned. For instance, intentional burning of one’s own skin without an intention to die would fall under the domain of NSSI. NSSI is associated with an increase in mental health problems, suicide, and various other adverse social outcomes. Though some people engage in self-injurious behaviors with an intent to die, most people engage in this behavior without a suicidal motive attached to it; a majority of young adults that self-injure do so without an active intent to die. With regard to certain demographics that are found to be more at risk, the women to men ratio within the self-injury demographic tend to be as high as 6:1 for the 20–24-year age group. Further, people who identify as a part of the LGBTQ+ are found to be more likely to engage in self-injurious behaviors due to the discrimination and bullying that they experience.
A study conducted in India found that amongst 1571 college-going students, the prevalence of self-injurious behaviors was 33.8%. Though this study did not extensively examine participant’s demographic characteristics, the prevalence rate indicates the necessity of intensive interventions and support systems aimed at helping people to achieve control over their self-injurious behaviors. However, throughout the last couple of decades, self-injury has been a subject that is heavily stigmatized and misunderstood. This has led to society being misinformed about the same, and forming judgmental attitudes towards it. This, in turn, has led to people who self-injure isolating themselves further due to the belief that no one can understand or relate to their feelings.
To understand and empathize with people who self-injure, one must learn the functions of self-injurious behaviors for an individual. A four-function model of non-suicidal self-injury is commonly accepted amongst most mental health professionals. These functions are based on the positive or negative reinforcement this behavior provides and whether it is an automatic reinforcement or a socially prescribed one. First, people could use self-injurious behaviors as a means to generate feelings of control of the situation. Second, it is used to escape from an aversive emotional state. Socially, it may be performed to remove some unpleasant interpersonal demands. Also, self-injurious behaviors may be performed to receive attention; however, this function is often misunderstood, misinterpreted, and wrongly considered the crux of self-injurious behaviors.
With regard to help-seeking, young adults are more likely to seek help from their peers and friend groups rather than approach their parents or consult a professional. Many people who self-injure possess low self-confidence and self-esteem which exponentially decreases their chances of attempting to seek professional help voluntarily. One of the biggest barriers to informal help-seeking is the fear of negative reactions from others. People hesitate to disclose their behavior because they fear that they will be labeled as “attention-seeking” or that their actions would be stigmatized. Also, studies show that when people who self-injure do disclose their behavior, it could go in vain due to the decrease in social support they receive in return. With this in mind, we need to educate and sensitize ourselves about self-injury as a phenomenon. If approached by someone who self-injures, we must not get argumentative, but rather be empathetic and try to determine what function self-injury is playing for that person. It is important to understand that people who self-injure know its harmful effects for them and their body. We must allow these people to emote and provide a genuine and sincere support system to them.
Many people who self-injure sometimes “do not feel like they cut deep enough” and believe that they need to provide more damage to their body. Though this may sound absurd to some of you reading this, it is an existing theme found in people who self-injure. Hence, it is necessary to understand the gravity of this behavior and how extensively it has taken over people’s lives. After all, “Who are we as human beings if we ignore the sufferings of others?” There are people around us, in our immediate circles who are suffering on a daily basis due to self-injury. It is time for us to start acknowledging this and becoming proactive and helping these people.
*If you or anyone you know is engaging in self-injurious behaviors, please contact-
Fortis Stress Helpline at +91-8376804102 (24*7)
ICALL - 022-25521111 OR 9152987821 (Monday to Saturday, 10AM to 10PM)
SNEHA – +91 44 2464 0050 OR +91 44 2464 0060 (10AM to 4PM on all days)
Vinay Sukhija
