- Practitioners can move away from pathologization and instead provide strategies like risk minimization that tolerate a less damaging level of risk
- Focusing on improving relationships with service users is critical to risk-management adherence
- Creating an environment that allows service users to express their complex emotions and to be more involved in the safety plans created

How Practitioners Can Improve Risk-Reduction Strategies for Self-Harm

The DSHI lists various NSSI behaviors (ex. cutting, burning, carving in skin, scratching, biting, acid or cleaner burns, sticking sharp objects, banging head, and punching walls or objects) and has the participant rate if they have engaged in the behavior and the frequency in the past year, was used as part of the CANDI interview.

The Deliberate Self-Harm Inventory 

- Utilized to determine the participant’s stress level and suicidal intent before and after the research interview and suicide risk
- Guides the assessor to appropriate responses for different levels of suicide risk

University of Washington Risk Assessment Protocol

Risk assessment is a clinical interview administered by a professional to service users in order to inform them of adverse outcomes from their behaviors and to create a safety plan to minimize further risk. Historically, service users have had little decision-making power or voice in the plans made.

Grand Valley State University

Health psychology research relating to self- harm includes:
- Risk assessment
- Risk management
- Self-harm and causes
- Stigma contributing to risk for self-harm

Health Psychology Research Relating to Self-Harm

Woodley, S., Hodge, S., Jones, K., & Holding, A. (2020). How Individuals Who Self-Harm Manage Their Own Risk—‘I Cope Because I Self-Harm, and I Can Cope with my Self-Harm’. Psychological Reports. https://doi.org/10.1177/0033294120945178

How individuals who self-harm manage their own risk—‘I cope because I self-harm, and I can cope with my self-harm’

The act of purposely inflicting pain and damage to one’s body. Methods include cutting, burning, scratching, and other means of self-injury. Self-harm can also be emotional or internal, which may involve acts like deliberately triggering oneself or consuming toxic substances.

Self-Harm

Risk Assessment of Self-Harm

Risk management is the process of identifying harmful outcomes and incorporating or reducing certain behavioral patterns to keep at-risk individual safe and mitigate damage. Managing inherently risky behaviors is a long-term process, but the goal is to cease them completely in a way that is achievable for those struggling to stop self-harming.

Risk Management of Self-Harm

Society considers self-harm a deviant and distressing behavior and those who are suffering are often mischaracterized as violent, unstable, and/or suicidal. Additionally, risk assessments often center around the authority of the practitioner and can further push service users away from seeking help. 

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