In a greater than 1,700-word piece, the New York Times (11/11, Carey) reports on the increasing rates of “cutting and other forms of self-injury…among adolescents.” Currently, “there are very few dedicated research centers for self-harm, and even fewer clinics specializing in treatment,” and “because self-injury is considered a ‘symptom,’ and not a stand-alone diagnosis like depression, the testing of treatments has been haphazard and therapists have little evidence to draw on.” Some experts posit that “people who become dependent on self-harm often come to treasure it as their one reliable comfort.” Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) appears to be “the one treatment that appears to be most effective for breaking the habit of self-harm,” according to an 800-participant study published in the April issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.
Related Links:
— “Getting a Handle on Self-Harm, “Benedict Carey, The New York Times, November 11, 2019