Identifying Non Suicidal Self Injurious Behaviors in College Students

The widespread prevalence of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) represents a growing public health concern. Students in nurse practitioner programs face increased stress as they juggle careers, families and school. Individuals who self injure report they do so as a means of coping with emotional distress and negative feelings. Graduate programs are accepting younger students, many from a generation that has a greater incidence of self injurious behaviors.  Educators are often the first to encounter individuals who self injure, however, they often lack the assessment and communication skills necessary to assess and intervene appropriately. This presentation will discuss ways to detect NSSI behaviors, risk factors, and interventional strategies. Information learned in this presentation may also be used by educators to teach future nurse practitioners about NSSI detection and treatment in all numerous specialty programs.