@article{Møhl_Cour_Skandsen_2014, title={Non-Suicidal Self-Injury and Indirect Self-Harm Among Danish High School Students}, volume={2}, url={https://tidsskrift.dk/sjcapp/article/view/15839}, abstractNote={<p><strong>Background: </strong>Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and indirect self-harm are prevalent among adolescents, but it is rare to see them described as related topics.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>The purpose of this study was to investigate whether there is a correlation between the frequencies of NSSI and indirect self-harm (e.g., eating problems, alcohol and drug use) and how this may be influenced by gender.</p><p><strong>Method:</strong> Questionnaires about NSSI (e.g., cutting, burning, scratching, hitting oneself) and indirect self-harm were distri­buted to high school students in theCopenhagen area (N = 5650; response rate 53%; females 60.8%).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 21.5% of the survey respondents had engaged in NSSI (lifetime prevalence), and 16.2% had practiced NSSI within the previous year. Gender differences in NSSI methods were identified. A total of 53.9% of the students had engaged in one or more types of indirect self-harm. The correlation between NSSI and indirect self-harm is twice as high for males (0.44; <em>P</em> < .001) as compared with females (0.20; <em>P</em> < .001).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Clinicians must be aware of both NSSI and indirect self-harm. A positive correlation is seen, especially among young males. Males often perform other kinds of NSSI as compared with females, and clinicians must look for gender-specific signs of NSSI. It is argued that NSSI can be perceived as a “social pathology,” but it is also indicated that NSSI and indirect self-harm can be evaluated as an expression of ordinary behavior among modern high school students that must not be medicalized.</p>}, number={1}, journal={Scandinavian Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology}, author={Møhl, Bo and Cour, Peter La and Skandsen, Annika}, year={2014}, month={Jan.}, pages={11–18} }