People who are suffering from depression are significantly more likely to harm themselves by both non-suicidal self-injury (like cutting or burning) and suicidal behavior.
It’s a major risk factor for self-mutilation due to several psychological and biological mechanisms, such as:
- Emotional pain and hopelessness: Depressed individuals often experience strong sensations such as sadness and despair.
These intense emotions can drive them to self-harm to release emotional pain or regain a sense of control.
Self-harm is sometimes seen as a coping mechanism to distract the mind from psychological anguish or to feel something when emotionally numb. - Cognitive distortions: Depression is often accompanied by negative thought patterns, such as feelings of worthlessness or a belief that things will never improve.
This cognitive distortion can increase the likelihood of self-harm or suicide attempts, since individuals may believe that hurting themselves is the only way to escape their pain. - Impaired impulse control: Mood disorders can affect brain regions regulating impulses.
This can make it harder for someone to resist urges to inflict self-damage, especially when triggered by stressful or emotionally charged situations. - Comorbid mental health issues: Depression often coexists with anxiety, borderline personality disorder, or substance use disorders, which can further elevate the risk of self-harm.
The combination of these factors intensifies emotional distress and decreases the effectiveness of health coping mechanisms, leading to a higher likelihood of self-injurious behavior.
- Emotional dysregulation and coping mechanisms: People with psychological issues often experience intense emotional pain and chronic negative thinking patterns.
These staggering feelings can lead to self-harm as a coping mechanism to temporarily alleviate emotional distress or to gain a sense of control.
This can include behaviors like cutting, burning, or other forms of physical injury that may provide a fleeting sense of relief or distraction from internal pain. - Biological factors: There’s also evidence pointing to biological bases that increase vulnerability to injuring oneself among those with mental illnesses.
Neurobiological studies suggest that people with depression may have alterations in brain regions responsible for emotion regulation and impulse control, such as the prefrontal cortex and amygdala.
These changes can reduce their ability to process emotions healthily and increase the likelihood of engaging in self-harm behaviors during emotional crises as a result. - Social isolation and lack of support: Mental problems regularly lead to social withdrawal, making individuals feel isolated and unsupported.
This lack of social connection can strengthen negative feelings, such as feeling worthless and losing all hope, which are strong predictors of self-harm and suicidal behaviors.
The absence of a support network can increase their reliance on self-harm as a coping strategy because it becomes harder for people to reach out for help.
- Self-punishment: People suffering from depressive symptoms can be or become self-critical to a fault, berating themselves for every slight perceived imperfection, failure, and mistake.
This mindset can manifest as self-harm and is often driven by feelings of self-hatred or a desire for self-punishment.
Statistics and evidence
Research shows that individuals with major depressive disorder have a markedly higher risk of attempting suicide compared to the general (healthy) population.
Final note
Interventions that focus on early diagnosis, therapy (like cognitive-behavioral therapy), and appropriate medication can greatly reduce the risk of self-harm in people suffering from depression or other mood disorders.
An early assessment and intervention are critical, since investigation clearly shows that those suffering from a mood disorder are at a much larger risk of causing self-injury and attempting to take their own life.
