Study: 20 percent of all students self-harm

About one out of five college students reported to have cut, burned, carved or injured themselves in other ways, according to recent research from Cornell University and Princeton University.\nThe results, which were collected from 2,875 graduate and undergraduate students, may reflect a national trend, the researchers said. \nSelf-injurious behavior is used by individuals to deal with anxiety, stress, increasing tension, anger, helplessness, loneliness and feelings of rejection that they cannot control or escape from, said Carol Bostrom, clinical assistant professor at the School of Nursing at IU-Purdue University at Indianapolis, in an e-mail. \n"SIB is one way to deal with feelings, even though it is an impulsive, dysfunctional or harmful method of coping," said Bostrom, who specializes in adult psychiatric mental health nursing. "Perhaps our youth today may not know how to deal with issues in a healthier manner."\nSome people also claim to feel better by hurting themselves due to the endogenous opioid system, an innate-pain relieving mechanism, as well as the analgesia they experience following the act, Bostrom said.\n"It's like a high relief of tension and anxiety," she said. "So if I'm cutting myself, I don't even feel the pain, only relief."\nBut cutting behaviors are not usually suicidal. Some may harm themselves to communicate what they cannot say with words and solicit people's attention and reactions, Sara Horton-Deutsch, associate professor at the School of Nursing at IUPUI, said in an e-mail.\nThe study, which was released in the June issue of Pediatrics, revealed that 36 percent of the respondents kept the self-hurting incidents to themselves, and only about 4 percent told a physician. \nMost self-abusers are usually have feelings of shame and guilt associated with their behaviors and are therefore reluctant to discuss their actions, Horton said. \nFear of being different from peers, lack of maturity and resistance to recognize their emotional issues may also prevent the young from expressing their difficulties, Bostrom said. \n"Some young people may not seek help because they feel they can handle it and are handling it even though the method is not really helping them deal with their issues," Bostrom said. "It's only temporary relief, and the problem will still be there tomorrow."\nFurthermore, there are fears of being hospitalized or put under suicide watch, though self injury is not necessarily a suicidal attempt, Lisa Lewis, a counselor in Shelbyville, Ind. and a Ph.D. student in the School of Social Work at IUPUI, said in an e-mail.\n"Often, people who self-harm go to great lengths to hide the marks and scars, for example, by wearing long sleeves throughout the summer," Lewis said. \nThe study also found that more females, bisexuals and those that question their sexual orientation reported to repeat self-harm behaviors, while fewer Asians did.\nIn addition, repeat-incident self-injurers were more likely to have experienced emotional or sexual abuse and have considered or attempted suicide. They often suffered from psychological distress and eating disorders, according to the study.\nLewis, who has counseled many clients with self-harm histories, said there is no standard treatment for SIB, but suggested self-injurers not to keep it a secret.\n"I want my clients to talk, talk, talk! I find many who self-harm have kept or are keeping too much inside," Lewis said.\nChristie Erickson, assistant director of Center for Human Growth at IUB, said many young adults and adolescents with self-harm behaviors have sought counseling services at the center. \n"Counseling can help them to learn better ways of coping with intense emotions," Erickson said in an e-mail.\nCounseling and Psychological Services at the IU Health Center and the Center for Human Growth are two professional counseling centers available to students on campus.\nFor more information, visit Center for Human Growth at http://www.indiana.edu/~centgrow/ or CAPS at http://www.indiana.edu/~health/caps/index.shtml.