Behavioral change in patients with severe self-injurious behavior: a patient's perspective.

Semistructured interviews were conducted with 12 women who had successfully stopped self-injuring to gain an understanding of the process of stopping self-injury. The data were analyzed based on the grounded theory method. The researchers found that the process of stopping self-injury consists of six phases. Connection was identified as key to all phases of the process. Nursing interventions should focus on forging a connection, encouraging people who self-injure to develop a positive self-image and learn alternative behavior.