Deliberate self-injury. Management in a psychiatric setting.

Self-injury is a significant clinical problem of psychiatric patients, although the prevalence of self-injury in specific disorders is unclear. Nurses can assess and intervene in the psychological causes and behavioral sequelae self-injury. Each patient's early history, dynamics, and motives for self-injury require evaluation. Behavioral techniques (eg, reinforcement) and psychodynamic techniques, such as exploring feelings and anxiety, can help patients understand their self-destructive tendencies. Patients can learn to anticipate anxiety-provoking situations, plan strategies to manage anxiety, cope with feelings, and reduce self-injury.