THE CONVERSATION: Why do people intentionally injure themselves?

Description

For the family and friends of people who self-injure, as well as the doctors and services that try to support them, a key question is often: why do they do it?

Non-suicidal self-injury refers to acts of self-harm where there is no intent to end one’s life. Self-harm is a broader term that can also include suicide attempts. Here we’re looking at non-suicidal self-injury, a complex phenomenon that appears to be driven by a number of different psychological mechanisms.