Self-injury is best described as?

• A. A form of indirect self-harm such as biting nails.
• B. Self-injury is direct harm to the body, such as cutting or burning, with intent not to die.
• C. Self-injury is a sign of psychosis.
• D. Self-injury is a form of self-punishment that always indicates intent to die.

Answer: (B)

Self-injury means direct, purposeful damage to the body that is done without the aim of dying. This focuses on the act being a physical injury you intentionally inflict on yourself, but with non-suicidal intent. An example is cutting or burning as a way to cope with intense emotions or numb distress. It’s not indirect self-harm like nail-biting, which isn’t a deliberate act of causing injury. It isn’t a defining sign of psychosis, since self-injury can occur across various mental health contexts. And it doesn’t always indicate an intent to die; most who engage in this behavior are not trying to end their life, though the behavior requires careful assessment and support.