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Abstract
People have engaged in self-injury-defined as direct and deliberate bodily harm in
the absence of suicidal intent-for thousands of years; however, systematic research
on this behavior has been lacking. Recent theoretical and empirical work on self-injury
has significantly advanced the understanding of this perplexing behavior. Self-injury
is most prevalent among adolescents and young adults, typically involves cutting or
carving the skin, and has a consistent presentation cross-nationally. Behavioral,
physiological, and self-report data suggest that the behavior serves both an intrapersonal
function (i.e., decreases aversive affective/cognitive states or increases desired
states) and an interpersonal function (i.e., increases social support or removes undesired
social demands). There currently are no evidence-based psychological or pharmacological
treatments for self-injury. This review presents an integrated theoretical model of
the development and maintenance of self-injury that synthesizes prior empirical findings
and proposes several testable hypotheses for future research.