Interventions for Non-suicidal Self-Injury: a systematic literature review

Abstract

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is the deliberate and self-inflicted damage to the body tissue absence of suicidal intention and without social or culturally acceptable purposes. NSSI has a high prevalence among adolescents and young adults, generating concerns among caregivers and institutions in which these individuals are inserted. However, in Brazil effective interventions and treatments for this condition are still scarce. This study aims to identify the interventions and psychological approaches used in the treatment of NSSI. This is a systematic review, which used PRIMA protocol and the snowball technique to realize the data collection. We used four combinations of descriptors to collect data in the Periódicos Capes, PubMed, Lilacs, SciELO and, PsycInfo bases. In total, this study analyzed 16 articles. Dialectical behavioral therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy were the most widely used theoretical frameworks, with skills training based on modules being the technique most used by interventions. The results suggest that both DBT and CBT have moderate evidence of their effectiveness in treating NSSI.