Why Do People Self-Injure?

<p>Self-injury does not reflect typical behavior, but it is also not uncommon. One in five adolescents across the globe reports having self-injured, and one in twenty adolescents in the United States reports having self-injured 6 or more times in the past 12 months. Self-injury isn’t limited to adolescents: 13% of young adults and 6% of adults also report having engaged in self-injury.</p><p>But why? According to research, there are two primary categories: emotional reasons and social reasons. In this inaugural episode of The Psychology of Self-Injury, Dr. Nicholas Westers delves into these two categories and asks leading experts, an individual with lived experience of self-injury, and a parent of a teen who self-injures: "Why do people self-injure or self-harm?"</p><p>Follow <a href="https://profiles.utsouthwestern.edu/profile/145428/nicholas-westers.html" target="_blank">Dr. Westers</a> on Instagram and Twitter (@DocWesters). To join ISSS, visit <a href="https://itriples.org/">itriples.org</a> and follow ISSS on Facebook and Twitter (@ITripleS).</p>