Pica is a dangerous form of self-injurious behavior that occurs in people with developmental disabilities who are institutionalized. Studies also indicate that pica has led to the death of people with developmental disabilities. While a number of published studies have demonstrated that pica behavior can be decreased substantially with behavioral…

Self-injurious behavior is commonly observed among persons with intellectual disabilities. However, a second parallel use of this term is used in the general mental health field for self-mutilation. The authors describe these two disorders and how they differ. Characteristics of what we refer to as repetitive self-injurious behavior among persons…

Although self-harming behavior is a common and costly problem for psychiatric inpatients released from the hospital, standardized tools that assess patients' risk for self-harm are rarely used in clinical settings. In this study of dually diagnosed psychiatric inpatients (N = 147), we assessed the utility of patients' self-perceptions of risk in…

In the past few years, there has been an explosion of online content and communication regarding nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). Research indicates the Internet may be particularly salient among those adolescents who engage in NSSI. Indeed, many youth who self-injure connect with others who self-injure via the Internet in order to obtain needed…

We conducted 2 studies to determine whether dense and thin NCR schedules exert different influences over behavior and whether these influences change as dense schedules are thinned. In Study 1, we observed that thin as well as dense NCR schedules effectively decreased problem behavior exhibited by 3 individuals. In Study 2, we compared the effects…

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at higher risk for developing self-injurious behaviors (SIB) and other challenging behaviors than typically developing individuals. SIBs often occur owing to deficits in communicative ability and can have undesirable consequences in an individual's environment. This study demonstrated the use of…

This article explores risk behaviour in adults with a diagnosis of Asperger's syndrome (AS) or high-functioning autism (HFA) during the transition to adulthood, drawing on interviews with twelve individuals and on two focus groups comprising members of other families affected by autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The authors examine the subtle…

Objectives: Using a sample of student service members/veterans, the current study aimed to examine the prevalence of psychiatric diagnoses and suicide-related outcomes and the association of hazardous duty with mental health. Participants: Data are from the Fall 2011 National College Health Assessment (N = 27,774). Methods: Logistic regression was…

Purpose: To evaluate the claim, made repeatedly during "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders", Fifth Edition debates over eliminating the bereavement exclusion (BE), that ''uncomplicated'' depressive reactions have elevated suicidality like other major depressive disorder (MDD), so exclusions risk…

The present study investigates the association of parenting and family factors with nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) in preadolescents. A sample of 1,439 preadolescents and their parents were assessed by means of (a) adolescent-reported parenting behaviors (support and behavioral/psychological control), (b) parent-reported parenting behaviors…

This study focused on first-semester college students, investigating (a) indirect effects of aggregate alcohol use on grade point average (GPA) through academic effort (skipping class and time on schoolwork) and (b) daily effects of alcohol use on reduced effort. Eighty students reported daily alcohol use and academic effort (skipping class and…

This study investigates self-harm among young lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans (LGBT) people. Using qualitative virtual methods, we examined online forums to explore young LGBT people's cybertalk about emotional distress and self-harming. We investigated how youth explained the relationship between self-harm and sexuality and gender. We found…

Background: Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is an increasing and serious concern in schools. The purpose of this study was to determine the suitability of a new policy for responding to NSSI in schools. Methods: Teachers and other school staff, including year level coordinators, psychologists, and counselors, N?=?48, reviewed a policy for…

Background: Self-injurious behaviour is a chronic condition among people with intellectual and developmental disabilities for which there is no known cure. The pain hypothesis suggests that individuals who engage in self-injury have altered or diminished pain perception. The purpose of the present study was to assess how frequently individuals…

The preceding article by Hawton and colleagues reporting on a prospective study of adolescents presenting with self-harm to Accident and Emergency departments (A&E) is one of the largest epidemiological studies to examine the long-term outcomes of self-harm in children and adolescents. After a median of 6 years nearly 30% re-presented to A&E with…