Understanding Self-Injury A Person-Centered Approach

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI), the purposeful damaging of one's own body tissue without suicidal intent, is a common and serious mental health concern. Engagement in self-injury is associated with numerous mental health difficulties such as major depression. Of particular concern is recent evidence indicating that self-injury is a significant risk factor for suicide. Taken together, understanding self-injury and appropriately responding to people who self-injure is critical.

Developing a compassionate understanding of self-injury requires not only knowledge of current research but also essential insights from individuals with lived experience. Understanding Self-injury: A Person-Centered Approach offers a significant departure from traditional texts in the field by adopting a person-centered, strengths-based approach to understanding and addressing self-injury. In addition to giving a general introduction to self-injury, this book offers practical tips for families and caregivers, schools, clinicians, and advocates who support individuals who self-injure. Importantly, priority is given to topics that individuals with lived experience of self-injury find central to their experiences, such as stigma, social media, resilience, recovery, and advocacy.

This book is a must-read for anyone who interacts with or plays a supportive role in the lives of people who self-injure, including mental health professionals and students, school professionals, families, researchers, and, importantly, individuals with lived experience of self-injury.

Stephen P. Lewis, PhD, is Professor of Psychology at the University of Guelph. He is Past President of the International Society for the Study of Self-Injury and Co-Founder and Co-Director of Self-injury Outreach and Support.

Penelope A. Hasking, PhD, is Professor of Psychology at Curtin School of Population Health, Curtin University. She is Past President of the International Society for the Study of Self-Injury and Co-Founder of the International Consortium on Self-Injury in Educational Settings.

Preface
Chapter 1: Self-Injury: An Overview
Chapter 2: Self-Injury and Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors
Chapter 3: A Person-Centered, Strengths-Based Framing of Self-Injury
Chapter 4: Self-Injury and Stigma
Chapter 5: Use of Appropriate Language to Discuss Self-Injury
Chapter 6: Rethinking and Addressing Contagion
Chapter 7: Self-Injury, the Internet, and Social Media
Chapter 8: Addressing Self-Injury in Schools: A Student-Centered, Strengths-Based Approach
Chapter 9: Families and Self-Injury
Chapter 10: Clinical Approaches for Self-Injury: Assessment and Intervention
Chapter 11: Self-Injury Recovery: A Person-Centered Framework
Chapter 12: Building Resilience Through Recovery
Chapter 13: Supporting People With Lived Experience
Chapter 14: Advocating for a Person-Centered, Strengths-Based Approach
Postface
References