This paper addresses the growing crisis of anxiety in today's children and young adults. It further elucidates specifics associated with gifted children and youth. It describes the issues surrounding anxiety, the risk factors, the complications, and known treatment modalities, while offering further treatment and coping suggestions that may be…

Despite rising rates and prevalence of nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) and growing awareness in schools of NSSI social contagion, little discussion has taken place regarding ways to prevent and react to this prevalent issue occurring among youth in a school. The authors address how to prevent social contagion using a tiered response to intervention…

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) refers to deliberately harming one's body without the intention of dying. Common methods include skin cutting, scratching, burning, and self-battery. NSSI is currently not listed as a diagnostic category in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V), but it is considered a condition for further…

By the second decade of the 21st century, mentally ill youth who committed suicide and sometimes killed others before they killed themselves received considerable attention in the media of the United States. In none of the accounts of these individuals did their literacy lives come up for consideration. This case study details the role of literacy…

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a prevalent psychiatric illness that often first presents at college. If left untreated, BPD can lead to severe disability or fatality. While multiple evidence-based treatments for BPD exist, most are resource intensive and, therefore, difficult to implement at the typical college mental health center.…

American adolescents are experiencing an epidemic of anxiety and depression. In this article, Eric Piotrowski explores how regular writing practice and conscious conversations help students struggling with loss, grief, trauma, and myriad associated difficulties including anxiety and self-harm. Students in his classroom use fictionalized…

The increasing prevalence of nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) among children and youth suggests that increased awareness, attention, and training must be disseminated to frontline personnel. Physical and sport educators have an increased chance of identifying students who are currently engaging in NSSI because of the nature of their work. This…

Data from anonymous surveys reveal that about 15-20 percent of teenagers have engaged in self-injurious behavior, such as cutting. For many, these behaviors stem from their frantic efforts to relieve the painful and intense emotions state that often come with being a teenager. Although self-injury is not necessarily a suicide attempt, it puts a…

This article provides readers with an understanding of self-injury assessment. The article begins with a critical review of a number of self-injury assessments. The latter section of the article introduces a comprehensive two-tiered approach to accurately assessing self-injury. Implications for counselors related to the assessment of self-injury…

This article presents a family competency-based treatment approach that capitalizes on the strengths and resources of self-injuring adolescents and their families. Throughout the article, the author provides therapeutic tools and strategies that he has found effective in his clinical practice of working with self-injuring youth and their families…

When students reach adolescence, they have often been known to devise destructive outlets for their self-expression (e.g., suggestive dress, tattoos, piercing, and sexual risk-taking). Recently growing in popularity, to almost epidemic proportions in the general adolescent population, is the act of self-injury. Self-injury refers to the…

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a common and increasingly prevalent maladaptive coping method, often used by adolescents. The role of the media in the transmission of NSSI acceptance and adoption in mainstream culture is explored in this article. The increasing reach of the media, the particular susceptibility of adolescent and young adults to…

A growing number of students presenting with nonlethal self-injury has recently captured the attention of school nurses. The purpose of intentional self-harm is aimed at reducing emotional distress. This is not a new phenomenon, but what is alarming is the increasing incidence of self-injurious behavior among adolescents. This behavior is raising…

Discusses dysfunctional behavior patterns and early signs of vulnerability linked to adolescent suicide. Early childhood teachers have the greatest opportunities to identify these behaviors and break destructive patterns. A team approach to addressing individual students' needs works best. Profiles of six young suicides are presented. Includes six…

In this book, group work and college counseling leaders offer step-by-step instruction in the effective use and processing of structured group activities on topics such as test anxiety; stress and anxiety management; ADHD; career development; substance abuse; eating disorders; and the unique concerns faced by GLBT students, first-generation…