Dehumanization and the Association With Nonsuicidal Self-Injury and Suicidal Ideation in an Incarcerated Population.

: Self-injurious and suicidal thoughts create critical concerns for incarcerated populations, yet relatively little is known about how they are formed and perpetuated within US jails. Dehumanization has been presented as a potentially novel risk factor toward aspects of self-harm; thus, this study assessed the perception of dehumanization from officers by those currently incarcerated. : Across two jail settings ( 410), self-report surveys were administered asking questions relating to perception of officer dehumanization alongside aspects of nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicidal ideation. : The findings indicate that perceived officer dehumanization is associated with NSSI thoughts, actively seeking NSSI, and suicidal ideation in jail, but not with NSSI in jail. : These data are cross-sectional, thus future work should examine the temporal order of these relationships. : Perceptions of officer dehumanization appear to be clinically relevant in jail settings; therefore, future research should longitudinally determine how dehumanization imparts suicide risk.