Non Suicidal Self-Injury and Eating Disorders.

Abstract

Epidemiological data on non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in the context of eating disorders (ED) are limited, with estimates varying widely across studies and reviews being primarily narrative. Self-injurious behaviour is present in various psychiatric disorders of adolescents and young adults, including eating disorders. A study conducted on the general population of adolescents showed that 30% of females and 24% of 16-year-old males with an eating disorder had engaged in acts of self-harm compared with 8.3% of females and 4.0% of males without an eating disorder. In particular, self-harm behaviours, including Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI), suicide attempts (SA), and suicidal ideations (SI), are common among individuals with Anorexia Nervosa (AN) and Bulimia Nervosa (BN). Presence of eating disorders and self-injurious behaviours in the same individual is associated with more severe psychopathology increasing the risk of more severe depressive and anxiety symptoms and suicide attempts.