[Nonsuicidal-self-injury: characteristics, assessment and risk factors].

Psychotherapists and psychiatrists are often confronted with patients suffering from self-inflicted injuries. A specific form of self-inflicted physical injury is nonsuicidal self-injury. This article aims at giving an overview of the phenomena of self-injury behavior. Extensive literature research was carried out in the databanks Medline and ISI Web of Knowledge and especially, current literature was the main feature of interest. Although there are numerous publications giving a broad overview, however, important aspects have not yet been clarified. The question arises whether self-injury behavior can be regarded as an independent syndrome or if it is, as assumed, a precursor for severe mental disorders. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.