title: The discrimination between overt and non-overt self-inflicted lesions.
abstract: Injuries following autoaggressive behaviour are found in patients examined in forensic medicine as well as in psychiatric clinics. Self-mutilation often is combined with a borderline personality disorder in psychiatric patients. Our investigation compares injuries and wounds in psychiatric patients and those in persons examined in the Institute for Forensic Medicine after referral by the police. Our intention was to show evident differences and/or conformities in both of these groups. Additionally we describe a 'third group' of patients which has not yet been mentioned. These women showed, at the same time, characteristics of patients with overt self-injuries and of those with non-overt self-injuries. In this 'third group' we can often find a mixture of reality and fantasy/imagination.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Forensic Medicine, University of Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kernbach-Wighton
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Saternus
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005555:Forensic Psychiatry / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis