[Descriptive analysis of the self injurious behavior in a non clinical population. Exploratory investigation through...

This study aims to examine the characteristics and functions of the self-injurious behavior carried out by a group of "not referred" italian subjects.

The group consists of 211 subjects (189 females, 22 males) who have joined the research between December 2005 and August 2008, filling in the open question questionnaire, available on "SIBRIC", website built ad hoc for the study and research about self-injurious behavior. Those who took part to this research joined in voluntarily also giving their consent to the processing of personal data.

A prevalence of female subjects with a mean age of 20.84 years and a high education level has been registered. Following particular stressful events, they start injuring themselves at the age of 13/16 years old. Different ways of injuring are used; the most frequent ones are cuts and burns. Often the interviewees reported being overwhelmed by "negative feelings" before injuring themselves and to seek at self-injury to manage them. It seems that many do not feel pain during the act, indeed, in some cases it appears to induce a temporary sense of relief. One might assume, therefore, that the self-injury plays a role in "emotional regulation" in these people, able to put an end to unpleasant feelings.

A significant correlation has been found between the results obtained and literature, which confirms the profile of typical self-injurer. The complexity of a such articulated phenomenon shows how this should be investigated from a clinical and empirical point of view.