Behavioral Analysis of Patients With Psychological Disorders Who Carry Out Self-Injury

Self-harm, also known as self-injurious behavior, is a problem that can arise in some people because of their difficulties in grappling with the emotions they feel. This is a common concern and problem that affects children, adolescents and adults. Researchers are interested in examining more deeply the behavior of self-injury patients when injuring themselves in order to understand this phenomenon. The purpose of this study was to identify and describe the behavior of patients with psychological disorders who carry out self-injury. This was a qualitative study. Data were collected with 2 female participants. The results of this study were grouped into 3 themes: 1) causes of self-injury behavior; 2) forms of self-injury behavior; and 3) feelings after carrying out self-injury. It was found that the actors carry out these actions in order to divert the emotions they feel and to avoid the problem. Despite the different ways of solving problems, they do not share their personal problems with others and instead carry out self-harm as their solution.