A Program Designed for Self-Mutilating Adolescents
The topic of self-mutilation (SM) has in recent years gained widespread attention in mainstream culture. While this new level of interest is indicative of growing awareness on the part of clinicians and other caregivers of the extent and effects of the problem, relatively little empirical research has been generated examining this phenomenon (Ross & Heath, 2002). More significantly, successful interventions designed to put an end to this particular self-injurious behavior and to facilitate the development of a more positive self-concept among self-mutilating individuals are rudimentary at best (Jancin, 2003).
It is the purpose of this dissertation to move from an examination of key issues related to self-mutilation among adolescents to the design and implementation of a targeted intervention emphasizing family therapy. An important aspect of understanding the factors that lead to deliberate self-harm is an examination of the motives or intentions and premeditation involved (Rodham, Hawton, & Evans, 2004). Equally important is the assessment of the various treatment and intervention strategies used by clinicians in working with members of this particular population.
Haines and Williams (2003) have suggested that people who self-mutilate have been hypothesized to have deficient skills in coping and problem-solving that leave them vulnerable to the adoption of self-mutilation as a coping strategy. Consequently, one of the major goals of any intervention targeting this population is the enhancement of coping and problem-solving skills. Kalb (1998) argued that because many self-mutilators are found in families that are either troubled or actually dysfunctional, it is important for clinicians to incorporate family therapy into any intervention design to assist self-mutilating adolescents. It is within this general background that the present study is positioned.
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