Self-injury (SI) or self-harm (SH) occurs when a person hurts their body on purpose. This kind of harm is not suicidal behavior. Many self-harmers hurt themselves because they feel it is the only way to stay alive. However, in some cases the self-harm becomes so bad it can lead to death, and those who self-harm are more likely to commit suicide than those who do not.
There are many different reasons why a person may hurt themselves, though it is often hard to find an exact cause. Sometimes, the self-harm helps relieve unbearable emotions, or feelings of unreality or numbness. Self-harm is often a symptom of other problems. These problems may include physical abuse, sexual abuse, or eating disorders. Self-harm may also stem from mental problems such as low self esteem or perfectionism.
Studying the causes of self-injury can be difficult or inaccurate, because many self-harmers try to hide their injuries.
Types of self-injury
Self-injury is a general term that includes many different types of deliberate harm to the body. There are many things that can be considered self-harm. If someone works their body too hard, for example, this can be seen as a mild form of self-injury. In other mild cases, a self-harmer may purposely pick off scabs to keep cuts or scratches from healing. Compulsive hair-pulling (trichotillomania) and compulsive skin-picking (dermotillomania) are impulse control disorders which are also mild forms of self-harm.
In more severe cases, a self-harmer could break or sprain a bone, or lose a dangerous amount of blood. Biting, burning, and cutting are other forms of self-injury. Overdosing on medication is another common type of self-harm.
Self-harm may get worse the longer a person has been doing it. This is because a person's body builds up tolerance to (gets used to) the pain from their injuries. Because of this, they have to hurt themselves more to get the same effect. In some cases, this can lead to fatal or near-fatal injuries.
A person may go through voluntary pain for other reasons that are usually not considered self-injury. A self-inflicted wound is when someone injures themselves to avoid something, not because of psychological problems. Some people give themselves a self-inflicted wound during wartime so that they do not have to serve in the military.
Some people go through pain to change the way they look, such as in ear piercing. This is called body modification. Body modification is not a form of self-injury.
Scarification is a type of body modification where someone cuts or burns their skin for decoration. This can include branding, which is common in some fraternities. It can also include cutting the skin repeatedly in a pattern or design. This will create very large scars. Some African tribes use scarification as a symbol of beauty and strength.
Self-injury in the population
Experts estimate that about 1% of the population has self-harmed. While people of all ages and ethnic groups have self-harmed, some groups are more likely to self-harm than others. Age, gender, and race can be factors in the risk of self-injury. Some evidence suggests that self-injury is also more common in people who have a family history of suicide or self-injury.
Age
In general, more young people are treated for self-injury than any other age group. According to one Australian study 30% of teenagers say they have self-injured. It is more widespread among those with mental illness. One in four (25%) of teenagers with mental illnesses have self-harmed. Self-harm in females is most common between the ages of 15-24. Males are most likely to self-harm through the ages 25-34.
Recent research focusing on young people suggests that 10 percent of 15 to 16 year olds have self-harmed. In this case, the self-harm was usually done by cutting.
Gender
A study in Oxford in the year 2000 found that approximately 300 per 100,000 (0.3%) of males aged between 15 and 24 years, and 700 per 100,000 (0.7%) of females of the same age, were admitted into a hospital after self-harming. Based on statistics like these, most agree that young white females are most likely to self-injure. Possibly because of this, it is usually believed that women have higher rates of self-harm than men. However, this may not be true because women are more likely to get help for their self-injury. Males may have the same or similar rates of self-injury as women. Some findings have even suggested that in the mid-30s age range, more men are treated for self-harm than women.
