Our studies span a wide array of areas to
help answer important questions.
The Cornell Research Program on Self-Injury and Recovery was launched in 2003 to understand what was then widely believed to be a new and emerging behavior among youth and adults. Since that time, our studies have spanned a wide array of areas and have endeavored to address questions such as:
- How prevalent are self-injurious practices and other mental health conditions in adolescent and young adult populations? Among whom?
- How does self-injurious behavior spread in adolescent and young adult populations?
- What about the interaction of current cultural context and developmental stage makes self-injury appealing to adolescents and young adults?
- Do mental health providers perceive a change in the prevalence of self-injurious behavior? If so, to what do they attribute this change?
- What contextual conditions predispose to and protect individuals from the conditions and distress that lead to self-injurious behavior and other poor mental health outcomes?
- How do the personal narratives of self-injurious youth differ from those of non-self injurious youth? What do these differences tell us about the way larger cultural narratives and contextual influences inform development and behavioral choices?
- What is the relationship between self-injurious behavior and suicide?
- Can self-injurious behavior and other concerning mental health conditions, such as suicide, be prevented in the college setting by community-based interventions?
- Are there different developmental trajectories for self-injurious behavior? If so, why? What are the consequences of these different trajectories?
Our current research projects continue the general line of inquiry we started in 2003, but now focus more generally on:
- The self-injury recovery process
- Mechanisms through which the experience of self-injury contributes to later socioemotional growth and development
- Parental experiences of child self-injury and the recovery process
- The role of context, narrative, emotion, and cognition in self-injury onset and maintenance
- Mental health trajectories over time: Incidence and contributors
- Application of “connectedness” to suicide prevention in youth and youth adults
- Feasibility and efficacy of web-based psycho-educational interventions for parents, professionals, and individuals with self-injury history
- Application of mindfulness-based interventions to self-injury recovery
Development of an online training course for professionals on self-injury
A 10-module online training course is currently under development. This psycho-educational training tool is intended to be particularly useful for youth-serving professionals and health educators, or others who are asked or expected to know more than the average person about self-injury. It encompasses a variety of topics germane to self-injury, including adolescent brain, body and being development, as well as NSSI basic proficiency, detection and intervention of NSSI, common treatment approaches, prevention and recovery processes. When complete, this course will be available through Cornell Cooperative Extension Educators, and will be available for a minimal fee to interested parties. In the future this course will be adapted for specific populations, such as parents and clinicians.
Book contract with Oxford University Press
Dr. Whitlock is partnering with Dr. Elizabeth Lloyd-Richardson at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth to produce a book for parents on self-injury. Drawing from years of research into the experiences of parents and caregivers of those who self-injure, this book is intended to educate and inform, as well as provide relevant information and specific tools for parent’s and caregivers on the unique challenges they face when parenting a child who self-injures.
Resilience training program for college mental health
CRPSIR is partnering with Gannett Health Services at Cornell University to develop a resilience training program for young adults. This program will build around the Cornell Resilience Model and will include techniques intended to promote resilience in young adults.
Understanding the stages of change as it relates to recovery from self-injury
CRPSIR is in the process of researching how Prochaska & DiClemente’s model of comprehensive change may be used to understand recovery from self-injury. Deeper understanding of the mechanisms of stage-based change will pave the way for educational and therapeutic interventions tailored to specific stages. Psychometric properties of the TTM constructs (stages of change, decisional balance, processes of change, self-efficacy and temptation) will be measured by surveying 320 individuals who self-injure. Tools for assisting NYS CCEs and other youth-serving professionals to screen and more effectively respond based on the stage of change readiness in youth exhibiting NSSI behavior will be developed, and disseminated.
The neurology of self-injury
CRPSIR is partnering with Professor Adam Anderson in the Department of Human Development at Cornell University to conduct a study intended to examine the neural signature of pain related to NSSI and pain offset. This study will make use of the innovative technology to measure pain perception and pain tolerance. Findings will be used to better understand possible reinforcement mechanisms, as well as how pain is perceived and managed through the use of self-injury.
Social media/networks study
CRPSIR is in partnering with Professor Natalie Bazarova and Professor Dan Cosley to recruit college students for a Facebook study. Data will be used to better understand the relationship between emotion and online experiences, as it relates to overall mental-health and well-being. (NSF funded)
Parent secondary stress study
We are continuing to actively collect data for ongoing research into how parents are affected by the experience of raising a child who self-injures. We are particularly interested in protective and resilience factors that promote meaningful recovery trajectories. As part of this ongoing study we are collecting data from a control group of parents of adolescents who do not self-injure and do not have other mental health issues. Data from these samples will be used to better understand the emotional and social experiences of parents as they help their children navigate adolescence.
Longitudinal survey & study of college mental health and well-being
Data collected from a random sample of eight American universities using the Survey of College Mental Health and Well Being is currently being used to assess a variety of mental health and well being relationships. A subsample from five of these universities was longitudinally followed from 2007-2009. Data from this sample is being used to better understand the relationship between mental health, young adult development, and context.
Parent-Child Study of self-injury experience
This small mixed method study is intended to deepen understanding of how parent and child relationships are affected by the presence of self-injury, the unique experiences of parents of self-injurious youth, and the ways in which parenting affects the recovery process. Data include qualitative interviews with both parents and youth as well as survey data from family pairs. A newly launched survey only component will investigate secondary stress in parents, in particular. Data will be used to create materials and other support resources for parents and youth serving professionals who work with parents and families in areas related to self-injury.
At the moment, we do not have any open studies.
Public Attitudes Towards Harmful and Self-Harming Behaviours
Researchers at Middlesex University are interested in exploring public experiences, attitudes and beliefs around harmful and self-harming behaviors. These are important elements of understanding why individuals may or may not engage in such behaviours, what pressures and reactions they may face, and the potential challenges affecting the people closest to them. Researchers at Middlesex University have therefore created a series of vignettes depicting various situations involving potentially harmful behaviours, and are asking members of the public to give them feedback: