The sight of their own blood plays a key role in the comfort that some non-suicidal people find in cutting themselves, according to a new study.¹ Researchers recruited 64 self-harmers from a mass screening of 1,100 new psychology students. With an average age of 19, and 82 per cent female, the students answered questions about their self-harming and other psychological problems, and specifically reported on the importance of the sight of blood. Just over half said that it was important to see blood when they self-harmed, with many explaining that it helps relieve tension.

The participants who said blood was important didn’t differ in terms of age and gender from those who said it wasn’t. However, the blood-important group reported cutting themselves far more often (a median of 30 times compared with four times) and were more likely to say they self-harmed as a way of regulating their emotions.

British Psychological Society

1. Glenn C, Klonsky E. The role of seeing blood in non-suicidal self-injury. Journal of Clinical Psychology. 2010; 66(4):466-473. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jclp.20661