New research has revealed that most people who harm themselves do it as a way to deal with their emotional pain, rather than a cry for help.

While people do harm themselves as a way to communicate with, or to influence the behaviour of, others, only about 23% to 33% of people who self-injure say they do this.

Clinical Psychologist Dr Peter Taylor, from The University of Manchester found that between 63% and 78% of non-suicidal people who self-injure do it as a short-term strategy to ease their emotional distress.

However, though self-injuring may work for short periods, the effect can be short lived, and make matters worse in the long term.

Non suicidal self-injury affects around 13%–17% of adolescents and young adults. Studies say it is associated with a range of psychological difficulties including depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. Though many use it as a way to cope, it is also a risk factor for later suicide.

The study was carried out by researchers from The University of Manchester, University of Liverpool, Leeds Beckett University, and Edith Cowan University in Australia.