Karen Rodham, Keith Hawton, and Emma Evans (2004) “Reasons for deliberate self-harm: comparison of self-poisoners and self-cutters in a community sample of adolescents.” Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 43.1 (Jan. 2004): p80(8)

 

OVERVIEW

The authors here study two forms of self-harm: self-poisoning and self-cutting.  The sample used for their study is 6,020 male and female adolescents in 41 different high schools in England ages 15 and 16.  The students were asked to take an anonymous self-report questionnaire about their lifestyle and coping skills. 

 

The authors wanted to study adolescents who were cutting to find out their motivation for cutting themselves and determine common factors in the behaviors of self-cutters. In this study, the authors wanted to study self-cutters who have not been hospitalized for their cutting.  Most of the studies about self-cutters (according to the authors) have been based on those who have been severe enough to go to the hospital for treatment for their self-cutting. 

 

RESULTS

The 2 most common forms of self-harm among these adolescents were:

1.        Self-Cutting (64.6%)

2.        Self-Poisoning (30.7%)

The difference in motivation behind self-cutting and self-poisoning is that with self-cutting, the most common reason reported by those who cut themselves was depression.  The most common reason reported by self-poisoners was escape. 

 

Gender Differences:  Self-cutting was much more prevalent among females than males.  In self-poisoning, however, there were no gender differences. 

               

Why adolescents cut themselves:

               

In the anonymous survey, the adolescents were given the chance in their own words to express why they cut themselves.  The following are some of the reasons the adolescents gave:

·          I wanted to show how desperate I was feeling.

·          I wanted to punish myself.

·          I wanted to frighten someone.

·          I wanted to get relief from a terrible state of mind.

·          I wanted to find out if someone really loved me.

·          I wanted to get some attention.

 

FUTHER EXPLANATIONS

               

In this study it was found that both self-cutting and self-poisoning demonstrate their behavior through impulse actions.  In other words, an adolescent doesn’t particularly plan to harm himself or herself but through the stress of relationship problems with family or friends, difficulties at school, or through disciplinary crises, the emotions the adolescent is feeling towards these factors may be to much for them to handle and they harm themselves as a way to deal with the pain. 

               

Most of those who harm themselves through cutting or poisoning will do it multiply times. 

 

 

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION & DISCUSSION

 

1.     Are you aware that females are much more likely to cut themselves than males.  Why do you think this is the case?

2.     Since self-harm is most of the time an impulse action based off of emotions to a situation, what are some things you can do to prevent a negative emotional reaction among adolescents?

3.     Have you heard an adolescent ever express the way that he/she is feeling in the responses for why they cut themselves?  (ex. I want attention, I want to show how desperate I am feeling)

4.     What are some precautionary measures that could be taken so an adolescent doesn’t reach the point of feeling that the only relief can come through harming him or herself?

 

IMPLICATIONS

 

1.     Self-harm is a coping mechanism that adolescents (and adults) use to deal with their feelings when they don’t know how to handle them in a healthy way. 

 

2.     Self-cutting is common among adolescents and it must be addressed when working with adolescents. 

 

3.     Self-harm is only the result of other pain the self-harmer is dealing with.  It must be taken seriously, and it must be talked about to get underneath the surface of what is really going on. 

 

 

Melanie Grosklags   cCYS