Psychological treatment of self-injury among adolescents

J Clin Psychol. 2007 Nov;63(11):1081-9. doi: 10.1002/jclp.20415.

Abstract

Self-injury is a dangerous and pervasive behavior problem among adolescents. Clinical trials testing the effectiveness of psychological treatments for this behavior problem among adolescents are lacking; however, several treatments have shown promise, such as those focused on teaching emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal skills. The authors provide a case illustration of the use of dialectical behavior therapy, which is one of the most promising treatments for adolescent self-injury. They then discuss several important considerations in the treatment of self-injury, such as the use of strategies to increase treatment participation and the assessment of self-injury and related target behaviors over the course of treatment to determine its effectiveness and to manage risk of self-injury.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Behavior Therapy / methods*
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Models, Psychological
  • Person-Centered Psychotherapy
  • Prognosis
  • Psychology, Adolescent*
  • Psychotherapeutic Processes
  • Self-Injurious Behavior / psychology
  • Self-Injurious Behavior / therapy*
  • Treatment Outcome