How Do Human Service Professionals View Non-Suicidal Self-Injury?

Abstract

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is prevalent among adolescents, and research has demonstrated that a history of NSSI significantly increases the risk of future suicide attempts. NSSI is a crucial phenomenon in effective suicide prevention measures; however, there exist misconceptions and myths about NSSI that contradict scientific knowledge. This study provides an overview of the perceptions and attitudes of human-service professionals towards NSSI, and examines the background factors and their influence on practice. The findings indicate the presence of prevalent misconceptions about NSSI among human-service professionals, potentially leading to inappropriate responses. Furthermore, the research suggests that negative attitudes towards NSSI are associated with a lack of knowledge and feelings of helplessness. While the study reports that increased experience correlates with more negative attitudes, the results were not consistently observed. The research highlights the necessity for a continuous support system and training for professionals. Additionally, it emphasizes the need for further empirical research to investigate the impact of gender and experience on attitudes and perceptions of NSSI.