A study by the Centers for Disease Control found the rate of self-harm was relatively stagnant prior to 2009. However, that rate went up threefold among girls ages 10 to 14 between 2009 and 2015.
According to Dr. Kaz Nelson, self-harm is a way that people manage difficult emotions when they are experiencing severe distress.
"When we see this, sometimes we can react and say, 'Gosh, why would you do this?' And that's not really a helpful approach," Dr. Nelson told MPR in an interview for Mental Health Awareness Month.
"What you want to do is be very compassionate and empathic, and assume that this is a sign that someone is experiencing something that is truly intolerable and that they're having trouble managing. So using that compassion to say, 'I'm concerned about you. I see that this is serious. I would love for you to get some help and I'm going to walk through this with you. How can we reach out and get help together?'"
Thankfully, there are treatments and strategies that can be used to change behaviors of self-harm to more manageable ways of dealing with distress, as Dr. Nelson explains.
To find support or get involved, visit the National Alliance on Mental Illness for more information.