Self-Harm Research Study- University of Memphis

Purpose of study: This research seeks to examine how and if self-injury impacts the telling of one’s life-history. For the purpose of this study, we will use the definition of self-injury as observed by the International Society for the Study of Self-Injury (2007). We will specifically be looking at non-suicidal self-injury, which is the intentional act of harming or inflicting bodily tissue damage on oneself without the intent to kill oneself. Examples of this are self-cutting, burning, branding, bone breaking, hitting, scratching, hair pulling, and banging ones head.

Procedure and duration: Seeking volunteers to participate in an interview regarding self-injury. The nature of this interview is to address life experiences with past self-injury. The interview is expected to take between forty-five minutes to two hours.

Participants will also be asked to complete a short survey requesting demographic information. Participants will have the option of a face-face or a telephone interview.

Eligibility: All participants must be 18 years or older. Only participants that have self-injured in the past and are willing to talk about it confidentially will be accepted.

Contact: To volunteer, or to seek more information, please contact graduate student Brittany Presson of the University of Memphis,  Department of Sociology. Phone: 731-415-4720 Email at bpresson@memphis.edu