A new article published in BMC Psychiatry explores the lived experience of stigma related to non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI).
The study, led by Stephen P. Lewis from the University of Guelph in Canada, finds that stigma represents an ongoing psychological burden for many people with experience of NSSI.
Participants reported feeling shame, discomfort in speaking about and seeking help for NSSI, discomfort with people seeing NSSI scars, and going to great lengths to conceal NSSI from others. Some participants also reported feeling stigmatized even after they had stopped self-harming behaviors.
The authors write:
“The current study sought to understand the experiences and impacts of NSSI stigma from the vantage point of young adults with a history of NSSI. Their insights shed important light on several ways that stigma impacts them. Of note, participants pointed to the way that stigmatizing experiences foment silence and shame that, in turn, hinders disclosure and sharing oneâs story. They also point to the non-verbal considerations and the persistence of stigma even well after some people stop self-injuring. These findings add to a growing literature on NSSI stigma and point to the value in giving voice to lived experience perspectives.”
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