The deliberate self-harm syndrome : an exploratory study

M.A. (Psychology)The~present study is an exploratory investigation into the deliberate self-harm syndrome. Throughout the text, a distinction is made between other types of self-harm (for example, indirect self-harm such as alcohol abuse; "direct self-harm performed by a psychotic individual) and the self-harm performed within the deliberate self-harm syndrome (that is, direct, voluntary, non-lethal self-harm, performed by a non-psychiatric individual). The aim of this study is to foster an understanding of this syndrome and, accordingly, to facilitate acceptance of the individuals who suffer from this syndrome, without displaying the need to classify these individuals into any one particular psychiatric category. It is hoped that this aim is realised through a discussion of associated features and related.patterns of the syndrome. This research conducted an investigation of 21 individuals who appeared to fit into the syndrome. Three of the subjects were excluded from the study because their type of self-harm and/or their motivation for self-harming differed from those individuals who suffer from the deliberate self harm syndrome. Although some queries were made about the suitability of eight of the subjects, enough evidence has been put forward by the study to assume the possible existence of such a syndrome, and for the syndrome to be taken seriously. Many grey areas were discussed with regards to the criteria that should be considered when determining whether an individual fits into the syndrome or not. This merely serves to both highlight and confirm the point that it is not a rigid psychiatric category that is being proposed, but that there are, nevertheless, certain criteria that need to be considered when whether an individual deliberately self-harms, discussed in this study) determining or not (as even though there were certain limitations in the study (most of them being related to the study's exploratory point of departure) the researcher is of the opinion that the information provided in this study, should be treated with the respect that it deserves