Self harm behavior hierarchical and network analysis

Prof. Vladimir Mendelevich, MD, PhD, DMSc, Russia

Mental Health Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Kazan State Medical University, Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan, Russia

The problem of self-harm behaviour is described in a comparative aspects from the standpoint of hierarchical and traditional approaches in psychiatry towards the innovative network analysis. The rationale for highlighting non-suicidal behaviour as an independent diagnosis is discussed in detail. The analysis of the problem of self-harm behaviour demonstrates the presence of many unresolved issues, such as defining the boundaries of “normative” behaviour (based on the youth style preferences), psychopathological self-harm patterns, as well as the search of significant interrelationships between suicidal and parasuicidal behaviour. The innovative approach to the psychopathology network analysis needs further research to evaluate this complicated self-harm behaviour phenomenon.