Non-suicidal Self-harm in Adolescence and the Work of the School Psychologist: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Non-suicidal self-harm in adolescence has received attention from researchers due to the increase of cases reported in schools and social media, however, there are few studies about the topic in the scientific literature on School Psychology. This article is a narrative review that aims to present perspectives of the work of the school psychologist in relation to this subject, also seeking to contribute to scientific knowledge in this area from a critical perspective. Initially, we present some aspects about the non-suicidal self-harm in adolescence addressed in the literature and its relationship with the field of School Psychology. Then, we introduce a brief contextualization of this filed and the critical perspective of the work of the school psychologist. The studies indicate several possibilities of the psychologist’s performance related to non-suicidal self-harm behavior in the educational context, covering activities directed at students, families, and educators. It is argued that self-mutilation in adolescents must be understood as being shaped by the historical-social determinants that permeate the experience of what it is to be an adolescent in today’s society, and it is important that the school psychologist’s performance considering the current conjunctures, and also to be aimed for transformative purposes.