Self-Harm in Older Adults, with Dr. Lisa Van Hove

Just how prevalent is self-injury among older adults, specifically those ages 60 and over?  Do the types and methods they use differ from those who self-injure at other ages? What about the reasons they give for self-injuring? In this episode, Dr. Lisa Van Hove from Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Brussels University) is the first to reveal the prevalence of self-injury and self-harm among older adults.

To read Dr. Van Hove's info brief on NSSI in older adults through the Cornell Research Program on Self-Injury and Recovery Resources (SIRR), visit https://www.selfinjury.bctr.cornell.edu/perch/resources/older-adult-fact-sheet-1.pdf. To see Dr. Van Hove's publications, including those about self-injury among older adults, click here. Connect with Dr. Van Hove on LinkedIn here. Below is some of her research and that of others referenced in this episode:

1. Van Hove, L., Baetens, I., Hamza, C., Dierckx, E., Haekens, A., Fieremans, L., & Vanderstichelen, S. (2023). NSSI in older adults. In E.E. Lloyd-Richardson, I. Baetens, & J. Whitlock (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of nonsuicidal self-injury (pp. 572-592). Oxford University Press.
2. Van Hove, L., Baetens, I., & Vanderstichelen, S. (2025). Psychogeriatric experts’ experiences with risk factors of suicidal and non-suicidal self-injury in older adults: A qualitative study. Qualitative Research in Medicine and Healthcare, 8(1).
3. Van Hove, L., Baetens, I., & Vanderstichelen, S. (2024). Conceptualizing self-harm through the experiences of psychogeriatric experts. Psychopathology, 57(4), 277-285.
4. Van Hove, L., Nieuwenhuijs, B. M., Vanderstichelen, S., De Witte, N., Gorus, E., Stas, L., & Baetens, I. (2025). Biopsychosocial profile of community-dwelling older adults at risk for direct and indirect self-harm. Clinical Gerontologist, 1–12.
5. Van Hove, L., Facon M., Baetens, I., Vanderstichelen, S., Dierckx, E., Van Alphen, S.P.J., Stas, L., & Rossi, G. (2025). Development of an at-risk personality profile for (in)direct self-harm engagement in older age. Journal of Personality Disorders, 39(3), 240-262.
6. Murphy, E., Kapur, N., Webb, R., Purandare, N., Hawton, K., Bergen, H., Waters, K., & Cooper, J. (2012). Risk factors for repetition and suicide following self-harm in older adults: multicentre cohort study. British Journal of Psychiatry, 200(5), 399-404.
7. Martin, G., & Swannell, S. (2016). Non-suicidal self-injury in the over 40s: Results from a large national epidemiological survey. Epidemiology (Sunnyvale), 6(5), 266.
8. Choi, N. G., DiNitto, D. M., Marti, C. N., & Choi, B. Y. (2016). .css-j9qmi7{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;font-weight:700;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:2.8rem;width:100%;-webkit-box-pack:start;-ms-flex-pack:start;-webkit-justify-content:start;justify-content:start;padding-left:5rem;}@media only screen and (max-width: 599px){.css-j9qmi7{padding-left:0;-webkit-box-pack:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;-webkit-justify-content:center;justify-content:center;}}.css-j9qmi7 svg{fill:#27292D;}.css-j9qmi7 .eagfbvw0{-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;color:#27292D;}