Self-Inflicted Injuries: Challenging Knowledge, Skill, and Compassion

In this paper the author discusses the importance of physicians recognizing the origin of self-inflicted injuries, and understanding the motivation for the behavior. This behavior is more common in women than men. Women who injure themselves sometimes imply that they do not care whether they live or die, even their potentially lethal injuries are not intentionally suicidal. The childhood events that lead to self-abuse could be physical, sexual, psychological, or all three combined.