ABSTRACT
The acts of attempting to self-harm in women are related to a number of factors — social, psychological, and biological. Social factors include rates related to social class, economic class, education, employment, social support, gender roles and role expectation, as well as factors to do with cultural norms and expectations. Canetto observes that women’s suicidal behaviours are labelled pejoratively, even if associated with adaptation and survival. Men’s behaviours are labelled positively, even when they lead to self-destruction in suicidal behaviour. The social expectations that are often drilled into young females from their childhood are related to how their culture and society define their gender roles. The most common sequelae of self-mutilating behaviour are a reduction in a tension or other intense affect and a reduction of the sense of alienation. Such self-harming patients are often diagnosed as having personality disorder and are likely to be women.
