Navigating Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI) with Families: Clinical Insights into Self-Injury, Youth Needs, and Caregiver Support
When: Thursday, May 15 - 11:00 AM
Duration: 2 hours
Location: Zoom
Event Details:
Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is an increasingly common behavior among teens and young adults and can cause significant fear and confusion for their caregivers. Despite the fact that NSSI can look and feel to onlookers like a suicidal gesture, it is most commonly undertaken without suicidal intent.
In this presentation, Dr. Janis Whitlock will draw on current research to explore NSSI epidemiology, underlying functions, detection and intervention basics. Additionally, Dr. Whitlock will explore common responses of caregivers of youth who engage in NSSI, and the dynamics that can arise in the parent/youth relationship. She will provide guidance on how professionals can best support these caregivers and the family system in addressing NSSI with empathy and care.
Learning objectives:
- Describe the key features of self-injury epidemiology and explain potential vectors for social or psychological contagion.
- Explain core principles and practices in effective self-injury detection and intervention.
- Demonstrate appropriate strategies for supporting caregivers of youth living with non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI).
- Identify and evaluate appropriate NSSI-related resources to support youth and their caregivers, considering individual needs and context.
Presenter Bio:
Dr. Janis Whitlock is a research scientist, developmental psychologist, and public health specialist, specializing in advancing understanding of and support for adolescent and young adult mental health and wellbeing. She is the Founder and Director of the Cornell Research Program on Self-Injury and Recovery, a program established in 2003 to enhance understanding of Non-Suicidal Self-Injury. Dr. Whilock additionally served as Associate Director at the Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research at Cornell University, where she continues to contribute as an Emeritus Research Scientist, and is a Senior Lecturer at Cornell University’s Department of Human Development & Cornell Institute of Public Affairs
Dr. Whitlock is the author of over 50 publications on non-suicidal self-injury in adolescence and young adulthood, social media and mental health, and in youth connectedness to schools and communities, and young adult mental health and well-being, and author of the book, Healing self-injury: A compassionate guide for parents and other loved ones.
Dr. Whitlock earned a doctorate in Developmental Psychology from Cornell University (2003), a Masters of Public Health from UNC Chapel Hill (1994), and a BA from the University of California at Berkeley (1988). Dr. Whitlock’s current primary research focus includes the development of early detection and intervention in mental health and well-being using social media and other technological affordances, particularly in the areas of self-injury and suicide.
Dr. Whitlock currently lives in Boulder, Colorado where she provides consultation for organizations, school systems, and communities dedicated to enhancing youth-focused mental health supports and resources. She is dedicated to translational practices aimed at making research accessible and useful to those best positioned to make a direct difference in the lives of youth, such as parents and youth-serving professionals.