Challenges in identifying non suicidal self-injury among young adults

ABSTRACT Introduction: Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a condition of concern due to its increasing lifetime prevalence among adolescents and young adults, as well as its strong association with a heightened risk of suicide. While NSSI-related research has gained momentum in the last two to three decades, researching NSSI could be quite challenging. Overlapping symptoms, underlying pathology, and complex interpersonal needs of injurers might muddle reaching the intended insight while researching individuals with NSSI. There is a need of careful scrutiny while assessing and planning interventions with individuals with NSSI. Methods: A total of 122 young adults in the age range of 18–25 years reporting for various mental health needs were enquired about engaging in self-harm behavior and further assessed with functional assessment of self-mutilation, followed by an interview with the parents. Results: The screening and the detailed assessment phase gave a contrasting picture of symptom presentation and concerns by the participants. While majority (51%) of participants reported mentioning about engaging in self-injurious behavior; further assessment saw drop in respondents bringing down the number to around 15%. Conclusion: Identifying NSSI needs vigilant scrutiny to understand underlying individual etiopathology and the nature of functions to avoid misdiagnosis and erroneous reporting in research.