Self-Harming Behavior

While men are more likely to die as a result of a suicide attempt, women are more likely to engage in what is known as deliberate self-harm (DSH) or self-injury. DSH involves any sort of self-harming behavior, whether or not the intent is to commit suicide.

Research suggests that people who use self-injury are not usually trying to kill themselves, though sometimes they do. While many people associate self-harm with a desire for attention, it is not and is often done in private. Examples of DSH include non-lethal drug overdoses and self-injury such as cutting. While suicide may not be the motivation, many people who engage in self-harm may be having suicidal thoughts and may also go too far in their self-harming behavior resulting in unintentional suicide.