Presentations text content in Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI)
Slide1
Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI)
A Resource for Teachers
Slide2Defining non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI)
Deliberate self-inflicted injury to one’s own body tissues without conscious intent to dieNot considered a socially approved practice within one’s cultureExcludes ear piercing, tattooing, circumcision, or cultural healing rituals
Slide3Prevalence rates
15% to 20% of middle and high school students engage in NSSIBPrevalence rates are much higher in clinical samples of adolescents (between 12-65%)Typical age of onset occurs during middle school, roughly between the ages of 12 to 15 yearsIn adolescent samples, females are more likely to report having self-injured but by late adolescence, young males and females report similar ratesThe most commonly found risk factors for NSSI is having difficulties with regulating emotions
Slide4Common forms of NSSI
scraping or scratching skincutting skin self-hitting or banging (to break or bruise) burning pinching
interfering with a healing wound self-biting picking or ripping skin
Slide5NSSI vs. Suicidal Behaviour
Non-suicidal self-injury Suicidal behaviour IntentTo get immediate relief from negative emotionsTo die in order to permanently escape emotional painRepetitionMore frequentLess frequentLethalityOften involves less lethal methods but with a potential for lethalityTends to involve more lethal methodsPsychological consequencesOften used to relieve psychological painOften aggravates psychological painGenderMay or may not occur often in women, depending on sampleOccurs more often in women but men are more likely to die by suicide
Slide6Why do people engage in NSSI?
To reduce negative emotions
and thoughts
NSSI involves the body’s natural pain killers. This can result in the release of pleasant feelings
To stop themselves from acting on
suicidal thoughts and urges
To
punish one-self
To reconnect with one-self and others
NSSI is
complex and is often the result of many converging factors. The explanations are equally complex.
Slide7How can School Personnel help at the time of disclosure?
Do:
Respond in a calm and caring manner.
Don't be afraid to state, "I've noticed injuries that appear to be self-inflicted, I care about why you might be doing that" or, "it appears you have hurt yourself, do you want to talk about it?”
Understand that this is the student’s way of coping with pain.
Have a non-judgemental compassion for the student’s experience.
Offer to be a caring adult for the student while they are seeking mental health support.
Acknowledge their feelings; offer to listen
,
be available.
Encourage participation in extracurricular activities and outreach in the community (e.g. volunteering with animals, nursing homes, tutoring or mentoring).
Discover the student’s strengths.
Slide8How can School Personnel help at the time of disclosure?
Don’t
Be overly reactive as this could alienate the student and damage the developing alliance.
Show excessive interest in the NSSI behavior.
Permit the student to relive the experiences of NSSI in detail, as this can be triggering.
Try to stop the behaviour with threats or ultimatums.
Discourage self‐injury; threaten hospitalization, use punishment or negative consequences.
Act shocked, overreact, say or do anything to cause guilt or shame.
Publicly humiliate the student .
Talk about the student’s NSSI in front of class or peers.
Agree to hold NSSI behaviour confidential.
Make deals or promises you can’t keep in an effort to stop NSSI.
Slide9School response protocol
Wounds are severe or life-threatening or the student is attempting suicide
Provide first aid and assess lethality of injurySend someone to call 911 and to communicate with the principal or designate. Listen empathically and carefully to the student’s message. The principal or designate will call the parent(s) or guardian(s).
Wounds are not life-threatening
Report all concerns related NSSI to the school principal or designate. A suicide risk review will be conducted by an ASIST trained staffThe ASIST trained staff and principal or designate, will identify the level of NSSI risk
Should the student be identified as potentially suicidal,
DSB Ontario North East Youth Suicide Prevention, Intervention and Response Protocols
are followed.
Slide10DSB
Ontario North East Protocol Flowchart
If the student is suicidal, follow suicide protocols
(see:
http://docushare.dsb1.edu.on.ca/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-78908/DSB1%20INTERVENING%20WITH%20SIB%20-%20Protocols%20-%20Draft(1).pdf
).
Slide11Confidentiality
Be cautious about telling the student that you won’t tell anyone about their self-injury. There could be a risk of suicide a health risk a self-injuring group of peers, and/or
As per our protocol,
staff shall report all concerns related to potential self-harm to the school principal, vice-principal or designate
:
http://docushare.dsb1.edu.on.ca/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-78908/DSB1%20INTERVENING%20WITH%20SIB%20-%20Protocols%20-%20Draft(1).pdf
.
Slide12Circles of
vulnerability for contagion of NSSI
Population at risk
Slide13Contagion in Schools
Schools
Trends have been suggested whereby multiple students who self-injure, communicate frequently about NSSI, and trigger the behaviour in each other.
Youth
may self-injure in front of each other, share the same tools, implement or take turns injuring the body parts of others in the group.
Some
adolescents will pick up self-injuring behaviour from siblings or peer group leaders.
Slide14Managing contagion in the school
When discussing NSSI with students, the following guidelines will help in preventing contagion:
Do
not
allow students to share detailed information regarding NSSI, reveal their scars, or share NSSI
related images
or
stories.
Do
not
use school-wide assemblies, newsletters, school newspapers to address an “outbreak” of
NSSI.
Do not
present
media that glamorize NSSI [as part of classroom curriculum].
When
educating youth about NSSI, discuss the behavior in its broader context; that is, as a maladaptive
coping strategy
among several others (such as substance abuse, or risk-taking
).
Emphasize
the need for students who are engaging in the behavior to seek support.
Slide15THANK YOU!
We hope that you found this a useful introduction to NSSI.
For more information, please refer to pp. 121 – 125 of Supporting Minds: An Educator’s Guide to Promoting Students’ Mental Health
and Well-being:
http://
www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/reports/SupportingMinds.pdf
Should you have questions,
your Mental Health Leader is available
to provide ongoing support and
leadership to your team.
Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI)
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