Abstract
This paper begins by defining self-harm and differentiating between this practice and suicide attempts. The paper then examines predisposing factors and the gender differences in self-harm behaviors. In addition, the paper provides an in-depth review of the literature and explores the treatment and prevention of this phenomenon.

Outline:
Part I: Introduction
Part II: Review of the Literature
Part III: Treatment and Prevention
Part IV: Summary and Conclusion

From the Paper
"It is important and difficult for families and friends of self-harming individuals to make the differentiation between this practice and suicide attempts since both behaviors are "self-directed and dangerous." (Centre for Suicide Prevention, 2001) However, it has been recognized by researchers that the individual who engages in self-harm has no intention to kill themselves or die as an outcome of the harm caused to themselves. This disorder is one in which the individuals get relief from the self-harm on some psychological level. While the self-harm and suicide are not always co-existent, it is important to remain that these two disorders may co-exist in the individual. Self-harm, with no intent to die has been known to result in death due to accidental cuts to main arteries."

Tags:injuries, gender, treatment, prevention, depression, anger, frustration, guilt

Abstract
The paper describes self-harm as a physical expression of emotional distress and highlights the need for a strong focus on psychological care for patients who self-harm. The paper explores self-harm triggers, looks at nurses' attitudes towards mental health patients and their needs and provides an understanding of the needs of patients. The paper then explores the attitude of health care workers towards young prison inmates who deliberately self harm. The paper concludes that more research is needed on self-harm prevention and on the practice of professionals working with people who deliberately self-harm.

Outline:
Introduction
Literature Review

From the Paper
"Deliberate self-harm, (DSH) described as a behaviour not an illness (Isacsson and Rich, 2001, 213), is a complex issue with much debate surrounding its cause and treatment (McAllister, 2003, 177, Freeman, 2002, 10, Redley, 2003, 348). Deliberate self-harm is frequently encountered in emergency departments (ED) but is a hidden health problem world-wide. Approximately 4% of the population self-harms and it is one of the leading five causes of acute medical admission for women and men (Wilhelm, Schneiden, Kotze, 2000, 349). Nine out of ten people who self-harm seek help in emergency departments (Crawford, 1998, 18), so the role of emergency nurses is fundamental to ensuring that they receive timely and appropriate care. Research suggests that patients who present at assessment and emergency after self-harm incidents repeat the behaviour (Joiner, 2002, 33, Morgan and Coleman, 2000, 391)."

Tags:suicide, emergency, departments, mutilation, injuries

Abstract
Deliberate self-harm (DSH) or self injurious behavior (SIB) involves intentional self-poisoning or injury, irrespective of the apparent purpose of the act. This paper presents an in-depth overview of the issue, including psychological causes of the problem, treatment available and myths surrounding DSH.

Paper Outline:
Introduction and Overview
Types of Self-Harm
Physiological Manifestation
Psychological Manifestation
Demographics
Methods of Alleviating Self Injurious Behavior
Common Misconceptions
Conclusions

From the Paper
"The forms and severity of self-injury can vary, although the most commonly seen behavior is cutting, burning, and head banging. Other forms of self-injurious behavior include: carving, scratching, branding, marking burning/abrasions, biting, bruising, hitting, picking, and pulling skin and hair. Knowing that DSH people inflict self-injury for physical or emotional reasons is important. It is not per se, a voluntary act. Therefore it should be distinguished between other forms of body mutilation. These forms are body piercing, tattooing and scalding patterns in the body. These are voluntary acts. They are performed either for sexual gratification or for body decoration. Sometimes these acts make people one of a crowd or it enables others to fit in among their peers. Several cultures view body painting, piercing, tattooing and other forms of body mutilation as rites of passage. Other times, they are parts of cultural or religious rituals. These voluntary acts are not self-injurious behaviors."

Tags:body, mutilation, Trauma, Reenactment, Syndrome

Abstract
This paper examines studies and research conducted on the practice of self-mutilation. The paper explains that research has found evidence that anxiety plays a major role in self-mutilation while poof of the relationship between depression and self-mutilation is mixed. The paper also points out that even though mutilation has been gaining extensive attention in the mainstream culture, very little is still known about what precipitates acts of self-harm. The paper goes on to briefly summarize two theoretical models that were created to account for the behavior.

Table of Contents
Anxiety Reduction Model
Hostility Model

From the Paper
"In sum, both the anxiety reduction model and the hostility model share the statement that the lessening of tension is the catalyst for the self-harming act. The major disparity between the models is the premise inherent in the hostility model that it is the inability to express hostility that results in increasing tension which terminate in the act of self-mutilation, while in the anxiety reduction model hostility is not supposed to play a critical role; rather it is tension that leads directly to anxiety which escort to self-mutilation."

Tags:deliberate, harm, body, without, suicidal, intention, cutting, burning, scratching, skin, picking, interfering, wound, healing

Abstract
The paper reveals that while the suicide rate has been decreasing, suicide is still responsible for more deaths than automobile accidents. The paper explains the differences between self injury and suicide; self-injury is usually meant to allow the victim to continue living, as opposed to suicide which is meant to end a life. The paper discusses the factors which tend to contribute to the tendency of individuals to suffer from depression or mental illness and be more likely to hurt themselves. The paper points out that deliberate self harm is common in adolescents, especially females. The paper contends that school-based mental health initiatives are needed.

Outline:
Causes and Correlates for Self-Harm and Self Injury
Conclusions

From the Paper
"Incidents of self injury are somewhat different in their intent than those of attempted suicide. Self injury, as opposed to suicide, is usually meant to allow the victim to continue living, as opposed to suicide which is meant to end a life. There is no strict definition of self injury, but the patient is usually easily identified if he or she deliberately causes self harm to the extent of causing tissue damage such as breaking the skin, bruising, leaving marks and doing so as a way to deal with unpleasant and overwhelming emotions or situations. Some individuals may even simply think about self harm when feeling calm as a method to control emotional pain. Self injurious behavior is not always associated with abuse in childhood, although it can be."

Tags:women, men, depression, poisoning, drug, alcohol

Abstract
This paper examines how self-harm includes any intentional act that damages tissue or causes illness with little or no intent of suicide. It looks at how self-harm can be divided into three major categories: major self-mutilating behaviors, stereotypical self-mutilating behaviors, and moderate/superficial self-mutilation. The three subtypes of the last category, compulsive, episodic, and repetitive self-mutilation, are the focus of this paper. It discusses how environmental factors are associated with self-harm, such as severe sexual abuse, physical abuse, and a history of stealing. It analyzes how myths and misunderstandings negatively impact the treatment of self-harm and how Dialectic Behavior Therapy, Cognitive Therapy, EMDR, and group therapies have demonstrated some success in treating self-harm.

From the Paper
"One distinguishing characteristics of these behaviors is that they so overwhelmingly preoccupy the thoughts of the person that he or she begins to identify himself or herself by the form their self-harm takes. Self-harm is very disturbing to this person. Repetitive self-mutilation usually begins in early adolescence and can persist for decades although there can be breaks lasting several years between groups of episodes. The most common forms of RSM are cutting, pin sticking, interfering with wound healing, severe skin scratching, head banging, bone breaking, insertion of foreign objects into the urethra, and vaginal laceration. Those with RSM report that it helps them relieve anxiety, tension, anger, rage, racing thoughts, depersonalization, depression, and feelings of loneliness (Favazza, 1996)."

Tags:cutters, cutting, abuse, therapy, dialectic, emdr, medication

Abstract
This paper delivers research on the area of adolescent psychology with the theme of self-mutilation or self harm that occurs with adolescent girls. This concept of masochism is dissected in the paper using peer reviewed journal articles. The psychosis behind this action is also explored and the impetus of the problem is given. The history of the subject is discussed as it relates not only psychologically with adolescence but also some sociology is incorporated into the paper to give it a fair balance of prognosis.

From the Paper
"In Pipher's studies (1994) she recognizes that female deviance is formed not only from interaction or lack of interaction from family, but also to the deliverance of aggression from friends and kids at school. Girls will call other girls sluts (the manifestation of anger through verbal outbursts) and do mean things to them while they 'aren't looking'. Boys do not verbalize their malice but act upon it by physically abusing their supposed assailant. These two areas of socialization are prevalent in the various typological profiling for self mutilation. An abusive environment will generate different responses from men and women. Men, with an abusive childhood will transgress their behavior in terms of killing, raping or violent crimes. Women are more likely to internalize their reactions and become self-destructive, turning to drug abuse or prostitution. The internal deviance of women causes most people to disbelieve their capability of being hands-on violent or self aggressive. "

Tags:female, deviance, abuse

Abstract
This paper takes a look at self-injurious behaviors without suicidal intent among adolescents and college students. The author provides statistics that show the incidence and prevalence of self-injury but cautions that the surveys and studies that have been done are usually of relatively small sample sizes. The paper discusses several risk factors that might contribute to self-injuring behavior in young adults, such as childhood trauma or disrupted emotional development due to an invalidating environment. The paper also speculates that the increased media attention to this problem, though creating awareness, might also be glamorizing self-injurious behaviors by the "goth" and "emo" teen and young adult subcultures.

From the Paper
"Non-suicidal self-injury is the intentional act of causing physical harm to the self, committed without suicidal intent. Self-injurious behaviors (SIB) can range from the most common methods of self-mutilation, such as cutting and burning the skin, to pulling hair or pinching/slapping. For the purposes of the examination herein, socially acceptable forms of mutilation such as cosmetic piercing and tattoos are not included in the scope of self-injurious behaviors. The incidence of socially deviant self-harm among adolescents and young adults, particularly those in a college population, has been on the increase. In addition, awareness of self-harming behaviors has become a focus in the media. This new level of attention has had two distinct and contradictory effects: one is an increased effort to understand and help those suffering with the condition; the other, a glamorization of self-injurious behaviors by the "goth" and "emo" teen and young adult subcultures."

Tags:self-harm, adolescents students media

Abstract
This paper researches the causes of teenage suicides. Terming suicide as one of the leading causes of death and an important public health problem worldwide, the author presents statistics for the prevalence of suicides worldwide and amongst teenagers. The paper discusses the causes of teen suicide according to three perspectives: the sociological perspective, the psychological perspective and the biological/medical perspective. From these perspectives, the author draws and tests hypotheses with a survey conducted among 34 random students. The paper explains the results of the hypotheses but warns that the survey was conducted in Malaysia and as such, the hypotheses that did not concur with the participants' opinion were probably due to different values compared to that of Western society. In closing, the author also provides recommendations to the problem of teenage suicide via suicide intervention programs. This paper includes tables, graphs and charts.

Table of Contents:
Introduction
Prevalence of Suicide Worldwide and Among Teenagers
Causes and Hypotheses
Survey Results
Solutions
Conclusion
Bibliography
Appendix

From the Paper
"Yet another, more personal reason for choosing this topic for my research paper was my own personal experience with suicide ideation and parasuicide a year and a half ago. Ever since I began secondary school, I had dreamed of being accepted into an Ivy League university in the United States, and right up until I completed my International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma, I worked hard in order to achieve my dream. However, in May 2006, as the decision letters from universities flowed in day by day, I experienced extreme disappointment. I was waitlisted at all six of the colleges I applied to - including Harvard, Yale and Columbia - before eventually being rejected from all six of them."

Tags:suicidal ideation, deliberate self-harm, adolescents