Self-inflicted intracranial self-injury
2011
Self-inflicted Intracranial Self-injury
Sample size: 5
publication
Evidence: moderate
Author Information
Author(s): Matthew M Large, Olav B Nielssen, Nicholas Babidge
Primary Institution: School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
Hypothesis
Intracranial self-stabbing (ICSS) might not be as rare as previously believed.
Conclusion
ICSS cases are not as rare as thought, and outcomes can be less dire than expected.
Supporting Evidence
- Five similar cases of ICSS were found among a population of 7 million over ten years.
- 47 earlier accounts of manually self-inflicted intracranial injuries were identified in the literature.
- The most common site of entry into the brain was the orbital space.
- Many ICSS cases were similar in demographics and psychotic illness presence.
Takeaway
Some people hurt themselves in strange ways, like stabbing their own heads, and it's more common than we think.
Methodology
Survey of severe mutilation cases in New South Wales over a ten-year period.
Limitations
The motivations behind ICSS are often unclear as patients rarely provide accounts.
Participant Demographics
The cases involved young males with psychotic illnesses like schizophrenia.
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