Multiple meanings of self harm: A critical review

Raised awareness of the multiple ways of understanding self harm may be a useful strategy in thinking about self harm in novel ways and thus providing alternate pathways for responding to the individual and society.

Abstract

The issue of self harm is a popular inclusion in various contemporary journals focusing on health and in particular women's health. This paper seeks to condense, critically analyse and more simply explain selected literature in order to raise awareness of the multiple ways of understanding self harm. Raised awareness may be a useful strategy in thinking about self harm in novel ways and thus providing alternate pathways for responding to the individual and society.