Is Self-Mutilation Related To Suicide?
School personnel may perceive a student who cuts herself as attempting to commit suicide. However, important distinctions exist between self-mutilation and suicide attempts. For example, eight out of ten individuals who are suicidal report suicidal ideation and give advance warning of their suicidal intentions. In contrast, rarely does the person who self-mutilates report suicide ideation or give any advance verbal warning of his self -mutilation behaviors. For the most part the intention behind self-mutilation is not to stop living, as most people make only superficial cuts or marks to their skin. Individuals who self-mutilate are also likely to repeat the behavior over a long period of time. Reports indicate that approximately 63% of people who cut themselves experience multiple episodes. In contrast, suicide attempts are usually temporary and occur much less frequently. Prevalence Self-mutilation is difficult to monitor, and epidemiological studies are difficult to conduct given the
