Nonsuicidal self-injury among people with developmental disabilities.

Abstract

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) has been a longstanding clinical problem in the field of developmental disabilities (Luiselli, Matson, St Singh, 1992;Tate St Baroff, 1966). Prevalence studies estimate that between 10% and 20% of people who have developmental disabilities engage in NSSI (Oliver, Murphy, St Corbett, 1987; Schtoedet, Schroeder, Smith, St Dalldorf, 1978). As summarized by Richman and Lindauer (2005), NSSI is frequently associated with individuals who have profound intellectual disability, sensory or physical handicaps, and certain genetic conditions, such as Cornelia de Lange syndrome and Lesch-Nyhan disease (Cataldo St Harris, 1982).Self-injurious topography among people with developmental disabilities includes banging the head and body against objects; sttiking the face and body with the hands; scratching, biting, and excoriating the skin; pressing the fingers against the eyes; and pulling the halt. Many children and adults perform multiple NSSI responses and remain treatment resistant for many years. The chronic display of NSSI produces tissue damage, body disfigurement, and increased risk of infection because of open wounds. Furthermore, high-frequency and persistent NSSI interferes with educational and habilitation programming, which are so vital in the lives of people who have learning and behavior challenges. NSSI 157

Simplified Habit Reversal and Treatment Fading for Chronic Skin Picking in an Adolescent With Autism

“…Notably, these positive results were achieved rapidly, with classroom teachers wholly responsible for implementing procedures. On a clinical level our findings support application of a multicomponent intervention such as SHR to treat skin picking that appears to be maintained by social and nonsocial consequences (Luiselli, 2009).…”

Toward New Avenues in the Treatment of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury

“…6 Although NSSI often occurs in the presence of psychiatric conditions, such as borderline personality disorder, 7 substance abuse, 8 eating disorders, [9][10][11] and anxious and depressive symptomatology, 12,13 the behavior can also occur in nonclinical populations. 14 While the most common methods of NSSI are similar across both clinical and normative populations, the methods of SIB are largely associated with the individual diagnosis, which most notably include autism, intellectual disabilities, Prader-Willi syndrome, and Lesch-Nyhan syndrome.…”