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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 15, 2026

Virtual Hand with Ambiguous Movement between the Self and Other Origin: Sense of Ownership and 'Other-Produced' Agency

Virtual Hand with Ambiguous Movement between the Self and Other Origin: Sense of Ownership and 'Other-Produced' Agency

Published on: October 28, 2020

Safer self-injury or assisted self-harm?

Kerry Gutridge¹

¹Centre for Ethics in Medicine, University of Bristol, 3rd Floor Hampton House, Cotham Hill, Bristol, BS6 6AU, UK. Kerry.gutridge@bristol.ac.uk

Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics

|March 17, 2010

Summary

In psychiatric care, allowing controlled self-injury may help patients cope with emotional pain and engage in therapy. This harm-minimization approach, while controversial, may ultimately reduce overall harm and enhance patient autonomy.

Area of Science:

Psychiatry
Clinical Psychology
Medical Ethics

Background:

Psychiatric patients may self-injure to manage intense emotional distress in hospital settings.
A controversial approach involves permitting controlled self-injury to prevent escalation of harm.

Purpose of the Study:

To explore the ethical implications of harm-minimization strategies in psychiatric inpatient care.
To analyze whether allowing controlled self-injury constitutes professional assistance with harm or harm reduction.

Main Methods:

Philosophical argument and ethical analysis.
Examination of patient autonomy and the concept of "safer self-injury".

Main Results:

Harm-minimization practitioners may facilitate physical injury, though not encourage it.

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Patient self-injury may not represent maximal autonomy due to overwhelming emotional pain.

Conclusions:

Allowing controlled self-injury, with precautions, may paradoxically enhance patient autonomy by enabling psychotherapy and behavioral change.
This approach, when considered holistically, may not be classified as harm in all circumstances.