Understanding Nonsuicidal Self-Injury: Origins, Assessment, and Treatment

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is the deliberate damaging of one's own body tissue in the absence of any intent to die. Although reports of this behavior span centuries, reported instances of NSSI have increased dramatically over the last 2 years. Until now, there has been no authoritative book on the topic that evaluates why this behavior occurs and what evidence-based assessment and treatments are available. Editor Matthew K. Nock has compiled the first comprehensive overview of NSSI written by leading theorists, researchers, and clinicians in the field. Drawing upon the historical, biological, cognitive, behavioral, and interpersonal literature, the contributors help to provide answers to some key questions: How prevalent is NSSI? What is its history? Does it occur more frequently among youth? Among females? What influences its occurrence? And, most importantly, how can mental health professionals help those who self-injure? The book's contributors have created a monumental and accessible study of NSSI. Understanding Nonsuicidal Self-Injury is a must-have for both researchers and clinicians, including psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, nurses, and all who wish to help those who struggle with this disturbing behavior.

Table of Contents:
Contributors Acknowledgements Introduction  Matthew K. Nock Part I. What Is Nonsuicidal Self-Injury? Chapter : Nonsuicidal Self-Injury: Definition and Classification  Matthew K. Nock and Armando R. Favazza Chapter 2: A Cultural Understanding of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury  Armando R. Favazza Chapter 3: Epidemiology and Phenomenology of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury  Karen Rodham and Keith Hawton Part II. Why Do People Engage in Nonsuicidal Self-Injury? Chapter 4: Psychological Models of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury  Matthew K. Nock and Christine B. Cha Chapter 5: Interpersonal Models of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury  Mitchell J. Prinstein, John D. Guerry, Caroline B. Browne, and Diana Rancourt Chapter : Biological Models of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury  Leo Sher and Barbara Stanley Chapter 7: Developmental Pathways From Child Maltreatment to Nonsuicidal Self-Injury  Tuppett M. Yates Chapter 8: Media, the Internet, and Nonsuicidal Self-Injury  Janis Whitlock, Amanda Purington, and Marina Gershkovich Chapter 9: Nonsuicidal Self-Injury Among People With Developmental Disabilities  James K. Luiselli Part III. What Are the Most Effective Ways to Assess and Treat Nonsuicidal Self-Injury? Chapter : Assessment of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury  E. David Klonsky and Anna Weinberg Chapter : Cognitive Therapy for Nonsuicidal Self-Injury  Cory F. Newman Chapter 2: Behavior Therapy for Nonsuicidal Self-Injury  Thomas R. Lynch and Caroline Cozza Chapter 3: Special Issues in Treating Adolescent Nonsuicidal Self-Injury  Alec L. Miller, Jennifer J. Muehlenkamp, and Colleen M. Jacobson Chapter 4: Residential Treatment of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury  Barent W. Walsh and Leonard A. Doerfler Chapter 5: Psychopharmacologic Treatment of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury  Curt A. Sandman Afterword  Matthew K. Nock Index About the Editor

About the Author :
Matthew K. Nock, PhD, is the John L. Loeb Associate Professor of the Social Sciences and director of the Laboratory for Clinical and Developmental Research in the Department of Psychology at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Dr. Nock received his doctorate in psychology from Yale University and completed his clinical internship at the New York University Child Study Center-Bellevue Hospital Center. His research focuses primarily on the etiology, assessment, and treatment of nonsuicidal self-injury, suicidal behaviors, and aggressive behaviors. Dr. Nock has authored more than 75 scientific articles on these topics, and his research is funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and the Talley and Clark Funds at Harvard University. In addition to his research and clinical work, Dr. Nock teaches courses at Harvard on self-destructive behaviors, statistics, research methodology, developmental psychopathology, and cultural diversity.