The Psychology of Self-Injury: Exploring Self-Harm & Mental Health

Eating Disorders & Self-Harm, with Dr. Katie Gordon

Episode Summary

Kathryn Gordon, PhD, from Fargo, North Dakota discusses the relationship between disordered eating and self-harm, how often they co-occur, why they co-occur, and physical pain sensitivity amidst eating disorder behavior and self-injury.

Episode Notes

The term "self-harm" is an umbrella term, encompassing a broad range of behaviors, under which is included substance abuse and misuse, suicide, nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI), and even eating disorders. In this episode, Dr. Katie Gordon, a Licensed Clinical Psychologist in Fargo, North Dakota, discusses the prevalence of self-injury among individuals with eating disorders and the prevalence of eating disorders among those who self-injure. She explains the relationship between the two behaviors, including common risk factors. 

Learn more about Dr. Gordon and her work on her website at https://kathrynhgordon.com/. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @DrKathrynGordon. You can purchase her book The Suicidal Thoughts Workbook: CBT Skills to Reduce Emotional Pain, Increase Hope, and Prevent Suicide on Amazon here. 

Below are links to some of Dr. Gordon's research as well as resources referenced in this episode:

  1. Kiekens, G., & Claes, L. (2020). Non-suicidal self-injury and eating disordered behaviors: An update on what we do and do not know. Current Psychiatry Reports, 22(68).
  2. Fox, K. R., Wang, S. B., Boccagno, C., Haynos, A. F., Kleiman, E., & Hooley, J. M. (2019). Comparing self-harming intentions underlying eating disordered behaviors and NSSI: Evidence that distinctions are less clear than assumed. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 52(5), 564-575.
  3. Smith, A. R., et al. (2013). Exercise caution: Over-exercise is associated with suicidality among individuals with disordered eating. Psychiatry Research, 206(2-3), 246-255.
  4. Gordon, K. H., Perez, M., & Joiner, T. E. (2002). The impact of racial stereotypes on eating disorder recognition. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 32(2), 219-224.

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The Psychology of Self-Injury podcast has been rated #5 by Feedspot in their "Best 20 Clinical Psychology Podcasts" and by Welp Magazine in their "20 Best Injury Podcasts."