Understanding Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI) in Adolescents

In this episode, Camille Foley (Senior mental health clinician and education fellow) speaks with Adam Blake (Psychiatric Nurse Consultant) and Kate Coward (family peer-support worker) about non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in adolescents, exploring its prevalence, risk factors, relational and family impacts, and how compassionate, evidence-informed treatment and responses can move us beyond stigma toward effective support.

Resource link:

Suicide and non-suicidal self-injury CPG :

Suicide and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury in Children and Adolescents: Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guideline

References:

AIHW (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare). Intentional self-harm hospitalisations. 2025. Suicide and self-harm monitoring.

AIHW (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare). Suicide and intentional self-harm hospitalisations among young people. 2025. Suicide and self-harm monitoring.

Usmani et al., 2025. Understanding the Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences on Non-suicidal Self-Injury in Youth: A Systematic Review.  Understanding the Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences on Non-suicidal Self-Injury in Youth: A Systematic Review - PMC

Yu-Jing Wang, Xi Li, Chee H. Ng, Dong-Wu Xu, Shaohua Hu, Ti-Fei Yuan, Risk factors for non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in adolescents: A meta-analysis, eClinicalMedicine, Volume 46, 2022. Risk factors for non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in adolescents: A meta-analysis - ScienceDirect

Melbourne Children’s Suicide and Non-suicidal Self-injury Guideline Development Group. (2026). Suicide and Non-suicidal Self-injury in Children and Adolescents: Evidence-based Clinical Practice Guideline: Melbourne Children’s.