Approximately 47% of transgender adults and 55.7% of transgender and non-binary youth report having engaged in nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) at some point in their life. In this episode, Thomas details his experience of self-harm beginning at age 12, how his self-injury evolved over time, and how it related to his gender dysphoria. He also discusses dissociation as a relatively constant function (i.e., reason) of his self-injury and what happened when he fully transitioned as a man.

Follow Dr. Westers on Instagram and Twitter/X (@DocWesters). To join ISSS, visit itriples.org and follow ISSS on Facebook and Twitter/X (@ITripleS).

The Psychology of Self-Injury podcast has been rated as one of the "10 Best Self Harm Podcasts" and "20 Best Clinical Psychology Podcasts" by Feedspot and one of the Top 100 Psychology Podcasts by Goodpods. It has also been featured in Audible's "Best Mental Health Podcasts to Defy Stigma and Begin to Heal."

If you or someone you know should be interviewed on the podcast, we want to know! Please fill out this form, and we will be in touch with more details if it’s a good fit.

In this episode, Dr. Jonas Bjärehed from Lund University in Sweden walks us through his research on nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) that he began in 2007 as part of his dissertation project. For example, he shares high prevalence rates of NSSI in Sweden (~40%) and discusses gender differences of NSSI among adolescents in 2007 compared to 2023. He also explains the results of a 10-year longitudinal study in which he surveyed individuals as adolescents about their self-harm and then surveyed the same group as adults 10 years later.

Learn more about Dr. Bjärehed's research here and connect with him on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/jonasbjarehed. Below are a couple of his publications along with a couple papers on "phubbing."

1. Wångby-Lundh, M., Lundh L.-G., Claréus, B., Bjärehed, J.,& Daukantaitė, D. (2023). Developmental pathways of repetitive nonsuicidal self-injury: predictors in adolescence and psychological outcomes in young adulthood. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health, 17(1), 116.
2. Daukantaitė, D., Lundh, L.-G., Wångby-Lundh, M., Claréus, B., Bjärehed, J., Zhou, Y., & Liljedahl, S. I. (2021). What happens to young adults who have engaged in self-injurious behavior as adolescents? A 10-year follow-up. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 30(3), 475–492.
3. Liu, S., Wu, P., Han, X., Wang, M., Kan, Y., Qin, K., & Lan, J. (2024). Mom, dad, put down your phone and talk to me: how parental phubbing influences problematic internet use among adolescents. BMC Psychology, 12, 125.
4. Lv, H., Ye, W., Chen, S., Zhang, H., & Wang, R. (2022). The effect of mother phubbing on young children’s emotional and behavioral problems: A moderated mediation model of mother–child attachment and parenting stress. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19, 16911.

Follow Dr. Westers on Instagram and Twitter/X (@DocWesters). To join ISSS, visit itriples.org and follow ISSS on Facebook and Twitter/X (@ITripleS).

The Psychology of Self-Injury podcast has been rated #1 by Feedspot in their list of "10 Best Self Harm Podcasts" and #5 in their "20 Best Clinical Psychology Podcasts." It has also been featured in Audible's "Best Mental Health Podcasts to Defy Stigma and Begin to Heal."

If you or someone you know should be interviewed on the podcast, we want to know! Please fill out this form, and we will be in touch with more details if it’s a good fit.

In this episode, Dr. Amy Lucas from Speek Health in the United Kingdom talks about supporting siblings of those who engage in nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). How can parents and caregivers of those who self-injure determine if they should share that information with siblings? What should parents do or say if they learn that the one self-injuring has made their siblings promise not to tell their parents about their self-injury? How might the sibling’s age influence these decisions and conversations, and what if parents are worried that a sibling will pick up the same behavior from their brother or sister who self-injures?

Connect with Dr. Lucas on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/amyhlucas, and learn more about her work at Speek Health, a resource for parents and caregivers of individuals who self-harm, at www.joinspeek.com. Below is one of the few (and free) research articles about siblings of those who engage in NSSI:

1. Tschan, T., Lüdtke, J., Schmid, M., & In-Albon, T. (2019). Sibling relationships of female adolescents with nonsuicidal self-injury disorder in comparison to a clinical and a nonclinical control group. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health, 13, 15.  https://doi.org/10.1186/s13034-019-0275-2

Follow Dr. Westers on Instagram and Twitter/X (@DocWesters). To join ISSS, visit itriples.org and follow ISSS on Facebook and Twitter/X (@ITripleS).

The Psychology of Self-Injury podcast has been rated #1 by Feedspot  in their list of "10 Best Self Harm Podcasts" and #5 in their "20 Best Clinical Psychology Podcasts." It has also been featured in Audible's "Best Mental Health Podcasts to Defy Stigma and Begin to Heal."

If you or someone you know should be interviewed on the podcast, we want to know! Please fill out this form, and we will be in touch with more details if it’s a good fit.