The Psychology of Self-Injury: Exploring Self-Harm & Mental Health - Self-Injury in Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities (IDD), with Caroline Roberts

Self-Injury in Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities (IDD), with Caroline Roberts

09/29/23 • 49 min

The Psychology of Self-Injury: Exploring Self-Harm & Mental Health

Up to 1 in 5 (20%) individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and about 3 in 7 (42%) individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) engage in self-injurious behavior (SIB). Common forms of SIB include repetitive head banging, head-hitting, self-biting, self-hitting, eye-poking, skin-picking, and trichotillomania (hair pulling), among other forms of self-harm.

In this episode, Caroline Roberts from the University of Minnesota and Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain discusses the differences and similarities between SIB and nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) and how we can bridge the gap between NSSI research and clinical practice, and SIB among those with IDD. She also shares 4 key topics from her interviews with experts in SIB and NSSI: (1) case ascertainment, (2) perceptions of causal variables, (3) pathways to treatment, and (4) treatment goals and outcomes.

Learn more about the Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain and their interdisciplinary approaches to understanding and improving SIB workgroup here. Follow Caroline on Twitter/X at @clrobz. Below are one of her papers and other research referenced in today's episode:

Roberts, C. L., Avina, A. H., & Symons, F. J. (2023). A qualitative analysis of family caregiver experiences accessing treatment for self-injurious behavior in individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Journal of Mental Health Research in Intellectual Disabilities.
Dimian, A. F., & Symons, F. J. (2022). A systematic review of risk for the development and persistence of self-injurious behavior in intellectual and developmental disabilities. Clinical Psychology Review, 94, 102158.
Steenfeldt-Kristensen, C., Jones, C. A., & Richards, C. (2020). The prevalence of self-injurious behaviour in autism: A meta-analytic study. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 50(11), 3857-3873.

Follow Dr. Westers on Instagram and Twitter/X (@DocWesters). To join ISSS, visit itriples.org and follow ISSS on Facebook and Twitter/X (@ITripleS).

The Psychology of Self-Injury podcast has been rated #1 by Feedspot in their list of "10 Best Self Harm Podcasts" and #5 in their "20 Best Clinical Psychology Podcasts." It has also been featured in Audible's "Best Mental Health Podcasts to Defy Stigma and Begin to Heal."

If you or someone you know should be interviewed on the podcast, we want to know! Please fill out this form, and we will be in touch with more details if it’s a good fit.

Roberts, C. L., Avina, A. H., & Symons, F. J. (2023). A qualitative analysis of family caregiver experiences accessing treatment for self-injurious behavior in individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Journal of Mental Health Research in Intellectual Disabilities.
Dimian, A. F., & Symons, F. J. (2022). A systematic review of risk for the development and persistence of self-injurious behavior in intellectual and developmental disabilities. Clinical Psychology Review, 94, 102158.
Steenfeldt-Kristensen, C., Jones, C. A., & Richards, C. (2020). The prevalence of self-injurious behaviour in autism: A meta-analytic study. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 50(11), 3857-3873.

Follow Dr. Westers on Instagram and Twitter/X (@DocWesters). To join ISSS, visit itriples.org and follow ISSS on Facebook and Twitter/X (@ITripleS).

If you or someone you know should be interviewed on the podcast, we want to know! Please fill out this form, and we will be in touch with more details if it’s a good fit.

Previous Episode

The Psychology of Self-Injury Pain, with Dr. Julian Koenig

What is the relationship between nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) and pain? Are individuals who self-injure less sensitive to pain than those who don’t self-injure? What are the ethics involved in conducting research on pain? In this episode, Dr. Julian Koenig describes the research on the experience of pain among those who self-harm. Learn more about Dr. Koenig and his research lab at www.koeniglab.de, and follow him on Twitter/X at @koeniglab.

Below are links to some of the research referenced in this episode:

Koenig, J., Thayer, J. F., & Kaess, M. (2016). A meta-analysis on pain sensitivity in self-injury. Psychological Medicine, 46(8), 1597-1612.
Koenig, J., Klier, J., Parzer, P., Santangelo, P., Resch, F., Ebner-Priemer, U., & Kaess, M. (2021). High-frequency ecological momentary assessment of emotional and interpersonal states preceding and following self-injury in female adolescents. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 30(8), 1299-1308.
Kaess, M., Hooley, J. M., Klimes-Dougan, B., Koenig, J., Plener, P. L., Reichl, C., Robinson, K., Schmahl, C., Sicorello, M., Schreiner, M. W., & Cullen, K. R. (2021). Advancing a temporal framework for understanding the biology of nonsuicidal self-injury: An expert review. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 130, 228-239.
Störkel, L. M., Karabatsiakis, A., Hepp, J., Kolassa, I.-T., Schmahl, C., & Niedtfeld, I. (2021). Salivary beta-endorphin in nonsuicidal self-injury: an ambulatory assessment study. Neuropsychopharmacology, 46(7), 1357-1363.
Sigrist, C., Kaess, M., & Koenig, J. (2023). Autonomic nervous system function in nonsuicidal self-injury—A Research Domain Criteria perspective on the arousal/regulatory systems. In E. E. Lloyd-Richardson, I. Baetens, & J. Whitlock (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of nonsuicidal self-injury (pp. C18S1–C18S23). Oxford University Press.
Naoum, J., Reitz, S., Krause-Utz, A., Kleindienst, N., Willis, F., Kuniss, S...

Next Episode

Lived Experience: Allison's Story of Self-Injury & Scarring

In this episode, Allison details her experience of engaging in nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) beginning in 9th grade and into her 20's. She explains the complex relationship she and many others have with their self-harm scars and discusses how her husband has supported her when she has self-injured. She also shares about how she makes sense of her scars in the context of her faith as a Christian. Read her To Write Love On Her Arms (TWLOHA) blog, "You are so much more than your pain," at https://twloha.com/blog/more-than-your-pain/.

Follow Dr. Westers on Instagram and Twitter/X (@DocWesters). To join ISSS, visit itriples.org and follow ISSS on Facebook and Twitter/X (@ITripleS).

The Psychology of Self-Injury podcast has been rated as one of the "10 Best Self Harm Podcasts" and "20 Best Clinical Psychology Podcasts" by Feedspot and one of the Top 100 Psychology Podcasts by Goodpods. It has also been featured in Audible's "Best Mental Health Podcasts to Defy Stigma and Begin to Heal."

If you or someone you know should be interviewed on the podcast, we want to know! Please fill out this form, and we will be in touch with more details if it’s a good fit.