Suicidality and self-harm behaviors among sex offenders remain underreported in the clinical literature and are often misunderstood in this complex population. The present study aims to identify rates of suicide attempts and self-injurious behaviors in a sample of 1,184 psychiatric inpatients, 462 of whom are sexual offenders. Between-group comparisons revealed significant differences in history of suicide attempts and self-harm behaviors, with sexual offenders evidencing greater rates of both. Significant psychiatric correlates of suicide attempts and self-harm behaviors among sex offenders varied by group and included a variety of psychiatric symptom presentations. These are compared with the general literature on suicide risk and the sex offender population. Implications for treatment of these behaviors in a sex offender population are discussed.

Past work has linked self-injurious behavior (SIB) to a history of traumatic experiences and to problems regulating affect. While this affect dysregulation is conceptualized as occurring at a biological (as well as a behavioral) level, relatively little is known about the biological mechanisms involved. The current study explored whether reactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis to an interpersonal stressor mediated the relation between trauma and SIB in a sample of 178 18-21 year-old heterosexual dating couples. As predicted, both trauma experience and symptoms positively predicted SIB. While the mediating model was not supported, SIB was associated with an HPA axis response marked by heightened reactivity to interpersonal stress within the context of lower cortisol levels. Trauma symptoms and experience interacted with adult attachment security to predict HPA axis response in different ways for men and women, a compelling set of findings suggesting the importance of contextual factors in the study of trauma and HPA axis function. Future directions for the study of trauma, HPA axis reactivity, and SIB are discussed.

Self-injurious behavior (SIB) is a behavioral pathology seen in a small percentage of humans and non-human primates. In one previous study, macaques with SIB had more sleep disruption than controls, but observations were limited. Two studies were conducted: a baseline study to investigate nighttime activity in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) displaying SIB and controls, and a probiotic study to assess probiotic Bifidobacterium infantis 35624 for high nighttime activity. Subjects were 13 rhesus macaques, 5 with SIB (3 females; 1 SIB). Videocapture of Nighttime Activity (VNRA) was developed to record in complete darkness. IR-receptive webcams were connected to a laptop running ISPYCONNECT, software which recorded movement. Subjects were observed during the entire lights-off period (8pm-7am). Measures included total movement time (TMT), movement in hour 1 (HR1) and hour 11 (HR11), and number of videos. In the baseline, SIB subjects had higher TMT (pBifidobacterium infantis 35624 had no effect on sleep disruption, and also that increased nighttime activity seems to be a persistent characteristic of SIB subjects. It is unknown if increased nighttime activity affects SIB subjects; it may result in elevated SIB, or the SIB pathology could result in sleep disruption.

Results of a functional analysis indicated that the self-injurious behavior (SIB) of an adult female with profound mental retardation occurred primarily in the alone and demand conditions. Graphs of the separate topographies (head slaps and head bangs) showed that head banging occurred in the alone condition and that both head banging and head slapping occurred in the demand condition. A data analysis procedure to identify within-session trends across sessions and fluctuations in rates of SIB by topography revealed that most of the demands escaped were escaped by head slaps and that over 80% of all head slaps were associated with escape, compared to less than 1%of all head bangs, indicating that head banging and head slapping were members of separate functional response classes. Treatment consisted of noncontingent availability of preferred leisure materials, and produced substantial decreases of both head banging and head slapping. Interpretation of the results are discussed, as well as some implications and limitations of the study.

The current study examined the nature and extent of endorsement of PMIEs, the nature and severity of MI symptoms related to endorsement of a PMIE, and the relations between extent of endorsement of PMIEs and MI symptoms. We hypothesized that (1) PMIEs perpetrated by others would be endorsed to a greater extent than PMIEs perpetrated by oneself; (2) medical professionals who endorsed a PMIE would report significantly greater severity on all MI symptoms compared to medical professionals who did not endorse a PMIE; (3) experiencing PMIEs (perpetrated by oneself and/or others) to a greater extent would predict higher levels of MI symptom severity, and MI symptom severity would specifically be most strongly predicted by PMIEs perpetrated by oneself. Hypotheses were examined using t-tests, Pearson's r correlations, and multiple multivariate regression analyses. First, the current study found that PMIEs perpetrated by others were endorsed to a greater extent than those perpetrated by themselves; second, greater exposure to PMIEs was associated with significantly greater severity of 10 of the 14 outcomes. Third, PMIEs perpetrated by oneself predicted more MI symptomatology than PMIEs perpetrated by others, indicating that while PMIEs perpetrated by others are more common, PMIEs perpetrated by oneself are more strongly associated with MI outcomes. This study highlights the widespread and harmful impact of PMIEs among medical professionals.

published_or_final_version / abstract / Community Medicine / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Syftet med studien är att analysera olika rapporter gällande sex som självskadebeteende samt varför unga skadar sig själva med sex. Sex som självskada är inte lika synligt som andra typer av självskador som att skära sig eller att bränna sig. Utifrån de utvalda rapporterna som utgör empirin vill vi undersöka varför ungdomar genomför skadliga handlingar genom sex och också vilka skillnader och likheter som framkommer i rapporterna. Vi vill belysa sex som självskada och få en ökad förståelse för ämnet. Vårt empiriska material består av fem olika rapporter med en koppling till sex som självskada. Även om vårt fokus huvudsakligen är icke suicidala självskador hos unga, så är det viktigt att nämna att det är en högre risk för självmordstankar om det finns ett självskadebeteende. Vi har använt oss av textanalys som är en kvalitativ metod när vi analyserade rapporterna. Vårt resultat visade på fem återkommande teman. Dessa är orsaker till sex som självskada, begreppet sex som självskada, kön- och åldersskillnader, ond cirkel samt bemötande och behandling. Dessa teman har sedan kopplats till teorier om genus, identitet och sexualitet med en utgångspunkt i socialkonstruktivism. / The aim of the study is to analyse different reports regarding sex as a self-injurious behaviour and why adolescents harm themselves through sex. Sex as a self injury is not as visible as other types of deliberate self harm such as cutting or burning skin and it can be anyone around you. Based on selected reports as our empirical material we want to acknowledge why youngsters conduct harmful actions through sex and also what differences and similarities the reports share. We want to pay attention to the topic of sex as a self injury and gain an increased understanding of it. Our empirical material consist of five different reports with a connection to sex as self injury. Although our focus is mainly on non-suicidal self injury among adolescents, it is important to mention that there is a higher risk of suicidal thoughts in connection to self injurious behaviour. We have analysed the reports through a qualitative method, text analysis. Our results showed fives recurring themes. These are causes of sex as self injury, differences in how the concept is used, differences among age and gender, vicious cycle and treatment. The themes are then connected to theories such as gender, sexuality and identity with a premisses of social construction.

Self-injurious behaviors (SIBs) are relatively common in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), and many teachers have difficulties dealing with these challenging behaviors. Besides the possibility of causing serious injuries to children with ASD, the frequent occurrences of SIBs can limit their access to academic instruction and peer interactions. The abundance of possible strategies is confusing for teachers to figure out which strategies to use and how to implement them. The purpose of this project was to develop a guiding manual for educators working with children with ASD. The manual presents proactive, evidence-based strategies to help prevent or decrease students’ SIBs in the classroom.

<p>This essay is focused on the phenomena of self-injurious behavior of two young men. The purpose of the essay is to enlighten their experiences of their earlier self-injurious behavior, and to further enlighten which factors they believe have been contributed to the origin and the ending of the behavior. The research questions the essay raises are: Which factors has contributed to the origin of the self-injurious behavior? Which functions did the self-injurious behavior have for the young men? What made the two young men quit their self-injurious behavior? The essay is qualitative and do not imply to generalize the results and it is made from interviews with respondents and earlier research on self-injurious behavior. The results show that there are differences in the factors that origin of the self-injurious behavior between the respondents. The differences are for example the family situation and experiences of childhood traumas. There are also similarities in the origin of the self-injurious behavior, both respondents have had experiences of rejection from the environment. There are several differences between the respondents in the functions of the self-injurious behavior. One of the respondents used the self-injurious behavior to end a state of dissociation, other differences were the frequency and procedure of the self-injurious behavior. There are also similarities in the functions with the self-injurious behavior between both respondents, for them it was a way to cope with difficult situations and to let out emotions for example anxiety. There are differences in factors that can be correlated with the ending of the self-injurious behavior among the respondents. One of the respondents claims the positive treatment of his surroundings and therapy, when his self-injurious behavior became known, was contributing factors to the ending of hurting himself. The other respondent claims that a sense of responsibility for someone else was the most important factor in ending the self-injurious behavior. A similarity in the ending of the self-injurious behavior among the respondents is that both of them could manage to express their feelings and experiences in words. One of the conclusions is that self-injurious behavior among the young men, referring to the origin, function and ending of the behavior, shows many similarities with young women who has a self-injurious behavior.</p> / <p>Studien behandlar fenomenet självskadebeteende hos två unga män. Studiens syfte är att belysa unga mäns upplevelser av sitt tidigare självskadebeteende, samt att belysa vilka faktorer som de upplevt som bidragande till uppkomst och avslutning av självskadebeteendet.</p><p>Studiens frågeställningar lyder vidare: Vilka bakomliggande orsaker finns till de unga männens självskadebeteende? Vilka funktioner fyllde självskadebeteendet för de unga männen? Vad fick de unga männen att sluta med sitt självskadebeteende? Studien är kvalitativ, utan generaliseringsanspråk och bygger på intervjuer med respondenter samt tidigare forskning inom ämnet självskadebeteende. Resultaten visar att de bakomliggande orsakerna till respondenternas utvecklande av självskadebeteende skiljer sig delvis åt t.ex. familjesituationen och upplevda trauman. Även likheter påvisas i de bakomliggande orsakerna, båda respondenterna har i sin uppväxt upplevt avvisanden från omgivningen. De funktioner som självskadebeteendet har för respondenterna skiljer sig åt på ett flertal punkter, varav en av respondenterna använde självskadebeteendet till att häva ett dissociativt tillstånd, andra skillnader var frekvens och tillvägagångssätt. Funktioner med självskadebeteendet hos de bägge respondenterna rymmer också likheter, då båda respondenterna använde självskadebeteendet som ett sätt att hantera svåra situationer på, samt för att få utlopp för t.ex. ångest. Verksamma delar i avslutningen av självskadebeteendet skilde sig åt mellan respondenterna. En av respondenterna menar att omgivningens goda bemötande och terapi, då självskadebeteendet uppdagades, var bidragande faktorer till att respondenten senare kunde sluta att skada sig själv. Den andra respondenten menar att en känsla av ansvar för någon annan än sig själv var den största bidragande faktorn till avslutning av självskadebeteendet. Då båda respondenterna kunde sätta ord på sina känslor och upplevelser av sin situation bidrog detta till avslutningen av självskadebeteendet. En av de slutsatser som presenteras är att självskadebeteendet hos de unga männen avseende bakomliggande orsaker, funktion och bidragande orsaker till avslutning är att det finns många likheter med unga kvinnors självskadebeteende.</p>

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