title: Personality disorder and self-wounding.
abstract: At least 1 in 600 adults wound themselves sufficiently to need hospital treatment. More men than women do it, although more women receive psychological treatment. Many have a history of sexual or physical abuse. Self-wounding differs from other self-harm in being aimed neither at mutilation nor at death. Self-wounding coerces others and relieves personal distress. Repeated self-wounding is one criterion of borderline personality disorder but we prefer to consider it an 'addictive' behaviour rather than an expression of a wider disorder. Psychological management may need to be augmented by drug or social treatment. Carers, including professional carers, usually need help to contain the turbulence that self-wounding produces.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Warwick, Coventry.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tantam
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Whittaker
mesh_terms: D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D006801:Humans; D010553:Personality Development; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D011379:Prognosis; D011613:Psychotherapy; D012652:Self Mutilation / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology; D000092864:Suicide Prevention