title: [Autotelic activities aimed at the alteration of the human body from socially accepted to pathological forms: about non-suicidal self-injury].
abstract: The author lays down that non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) constitutes an increasingly more common and serious public health problem, especially during the age of adolescence. In spite of the fact that the phenomenon has been known since the beginning of human mankind even in animals, we have not been able to either give a clear explanation or prevent its spreading yet. The author reviews the conceptual disturbances, behavioural phenotypes, cultural-historical and mythological antecedents related to self-injury, just as the controversial concepts, reasons of unclearness of the concepts, and clinical classification of self-injuries, and he outlines a new categorisation/ classification of the explanation of autotelic activities aimed at the alteration of the human body. He reviews the relationship between self-injuries and other psychological signs and symptoms and psychiatric illnesses, the explanations of developing self-injurious behaviour and further research directions. Besides the different models of self-injury he presents a holistic model. Besides the therapeutic guidelines of self-injurious behaviour, he calls the attention to the importance of genetic and nervous system researches, psychological and spiritual research, the importance of mental education and prevention, and he also lists some more essential questions future researchers have to find the answers for if we would like all children to be allowed to enter the adults' world in a healthy and sound state.
authors.affiliation: Private practice, Kecskemét, Hungary. kalm-r@t-online.hu.
authors.forename: Sandor
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kalmar
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D018594:Human Body; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders; D009229:Mythology; D012649:Self Concept; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior; D012945:Social Values