Incorporating Expressive Arts Techniques Into the Treatment of Adolescent Self-Injury

Non-suicidal self-injury in adolescents is receiving increased attention in the media and mental health fields. The period of adolescence represents a time of transition and growth, which may make children particularly susceptible to self-injury (Lloyd-Richardson et al., 2008). Recent studies have suggested prevalence rates ranging from 12-39% in the general population (Zoroglu et al., 2003; Lloyd-Richardson, Pierrine, Dierker, & Kelley, 2007) and as high as 61% in clinically-referred adolescents (DiClemente et al., 1991). This is compared to a rate of 1-4% in the general adult population and up to 21% in a clinical sample of adults (Briere & Gil, 1998).