Treatment Options for Adolescent Non-Suicidal Self-Injurious Behavior: A Systematic Review

A systematic review was conducted using four different databases and seven different search terms to address the following points: (1) what types of clinical treatment programs are currently being used to address self-harming behaviors in adolescents, (2) how do each of these programs define self-harm, (3) what theory guides these intervention programs, (4) and how effective are these programs at reducing self-harming behaviors in adolescents? Nine final studies were identified and the quality of the reporting of these studies was assessed using an extension of the CONSORT 2010 (Consort Group, 2010) checklist for pragmatic studies. The results of this study found a diverse range of treatment options available, differing definitions of self-harm as well as theories guiding the treatment interventions across all 9 studies, and varying degrees of effectiveness. Finally, of the three studies that reported success, two of these studies utilized DBT (and one other pilot study using DBT found a notable reduction in self-harm, but not significance); therefore, this review highlights the fact that DBT is a promising therapeutic approach for treating adolescent self-harm and is worthy of more rigorous research designs that can more fully evaluate its efficacy.