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September 1975, Vol 32, No. 9 >
Article | September 1975

Wrist Cutting: Title and subTitle BreakRelationship Between Clinical Observations and Epidemiological Findings

Myrna M. Weissman, PhD
[+] Author Affiliations

Accepted for publication Sept 20, 1974.

Reprint requests to Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Depression Research Unit, 904 Howard Ave, Suite 5, New Haven, CT 06519 (Dr Weissman).


Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1975;32(9):1166-1171. doi:10.1001/archpsyc.1975.01760270098014
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• Reports of select samples have described suicide attempt by wrist cutting as a unique clinical syndrome occurring in young, single, attractive women, associated with specific psychological characteristics. A St. Louis study of a large unselected sample found that persons who cut their wrists were similar to other suicide attempters and were not more apt to be single females who made repeated attempts. These findings are repeated in a New Haven, Conn, study suggesting that reports of persons cutting their wrists should be reconsidered in light of these epidemiologic findings.

Institutional differences in patient sampling can account for lack of agreement. While clinical observations are important, additional study through epidemiologic approaches is necessary before conclusions about new syndromes can be made. Current evidence on wrist cutting raises questions about the existence of a separate syndrome.

REFERENCES

1 +
Clendenin WW, Murphy GE:  Wrist cutting: New epidemiological findings . Arch Gen Psychiatry 25:465-469, 1971;.
2 +
Graff H:  The chronic wrist slasher . Hosp Top 45:61-65, 1967;.
3 +
Graff H, Mallin R:  The syndrome of the wrist cutter . Am J Psychiatry 124:36-42, 1967;.
4 +
Pao P:  The syndrome of delicate self-cutting . Br J Med Psychol 42:195-206, 1969;.
5 +
Rosenthal RJ, Rinzler C, Walsh R, et al:  Wrist-cutting syndrome: The meaning of a gesture . Am J Psychiatry 128:1363-1369, 1972;.
6 +
Nelson SH, Grunebaum H:  A follow-up study of wrist slashers . Am J Psychiatry 127:1345-1349, 1971;.
7 +
Grunebaum HU, Klerman GL:  Wrist slashing . Am J Psychiatry 124:527-534, 1967;.
8 +
Burnham RC:  Symposium on impulsive self-mutilation: Discussion . Br J Med Psychol 42:223-229, 1969;.
9 +
Kafka JS:  The body as transitional object: A psychoanalytic study of a self-mutilating patient . Br J Med Psychol 42:207-212, 1969;.
10 +
Podvoll EM:  Self-mutilation within a hospital setting: A study of identity and social compliance . Br J Med Psychol 42:213-221, 1969;.
11 +
Rinzler C, Shapiro DA:  Wrist-cutting and suicide . J Mt Sinai Hosp 34:485-488, 1968;.
12 +
Siomopoulos V:  Repeated self-cutting: An impulse neurosis . Am J Psychother 28:85-94, 1974;.
13 +
Weissman MM, Paykel ES, French N, et al:  Suicide attempts in an urban community, 1955 and 1970 . Soc Psychiatry 8:82-91, 1973;.
14 +
Tabachnick ND, Farberow NL:  The assessment of self-destructive potentiality , in Farberow NL, Scheidman ES (eds): The Cry for Help . New York, McGraw-Hill Book Co Inc, 1961;, pp 60-77.
15 +
Hamilton M:  A rating scale for depression . J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 23:56-62, 1960;.
16 +
Paykel ES, Hallowell C, Dressler D, et al:  Treatment of suicide attempters: A descriptive study . Arch Gen Psychiatry 31:487-491, 1974;.
17 +
Dressler D, Prusoff B, Mark H, et al:  Clinician attitudes towards the suicide attempter . J Nerv Ment Dis 160:146-155, 1975;.
18 +
Weissman MM, Fox K, Klerman GL:  Hostility and depression associated with suicide attempts . Am J Psychiatry 130:450-455, 1973;.
19 +
Fox K, Weissman MM:  Suicide attempts and drugs: Contradiction between method and intent . Soc Psychiatry 10:31-38, 1975;.
20 +
Weissman MM:  The epidemiology of suicide attempts, 1960 to 1971 . Arch Gen Psychiatry 30:737-746, 1974;.
21 +
Whitehead PC, Johnson FG, Ferrence R:  Measuring the incidence of self-injury: Some methodological and design considerations . Am J Orthopsychiatry 43:142-148, 1973;.
22 +
Mechanic D:  Some implications of illness behavior for medical sampling . N Engl J Med 269:244-247, 1963;.
23 +
Klerman GL:  Clinical research in depression . Arch Gen Psychiatry 24:305-319, 1971;.
24 +
Paykel ES, Klerman GL, Prusoff BA:  Treatment setting and clinical depression . Arch Gen Psychiatry 22:11-21, 1970;.
25 +
Klerman GL, Paykel ES:  Depressive pattern, social background, and hospitalization . J Nerv Ment Dis 150:466-478, 1970;.

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1 +
Clendenin WW, Murphy GE:  Wrist cutting: New epidemiological findings . Arch Gen Psychiatry 25:465-469, 1971;.
2 +
Graff H:  The chronic wrist slasher . Hosp Top 45:61-65, 1967;.
3 +
Graff H, Mallin R:  The syndrome of the wrist cutter . Am J Psychiatry 124:36-42, 1967;.
4 +
Pao P:  The syndrome of delicate self-cutting . Br J Med Psychol 42:195-206, 1969;.
5 +
Rosenthal RJ, Rinzler C, Walsh R, et al:  Wrist-cutting syndrome: The meaning of a gesture . Am J Psychiatry 128:1363-1369, 1972;.
6 +
Nelson SH, Grunebaum H:  A follow-up study of wrist slashers . Am J Psychiatry 127:1345-1349, 1971;.
7 +
Grunebaum HU, Klerman GL:  Wrist slashing . Am J Psychiatry 124:527-534, 1967;.
8 +
Burnham RC:  Symposium on impulsive self-mutilation: Discussion . Br J Med Psychol 42:223-229, 1969;.
9 +
Kafka JS:  The body as transitional object: A psychoanalytic study of a self-mutilating patient . Br J Med Psychol 42:207-212, 1969;.
10 +
Podvoll EM:  Self-mutilation within a hospital setting: A study of identity and social compliance . Br J Med Psychol 42:213-221, 1969;.
11 +
Rinzler C, Shapiro DA:  Wrist-cutting and suicide . J Mt Sinai Hosp 34:485-488, 1968;.
12 +
Siomopoulos V:  Repeated self-cutting: An impulse neurosis . Am J Psychother 28:85-94, 1974;.
13 +
Weissman MM, Paykel ES, French N, et al:  Suicide attempts in an urban community, 1955 and 1970 . Soc Psychiatry 8:82-91, 1973;.
14 +
Tabachnick ND, Farberow NL:  The assessment of self-destructive potentiality , in Farberow NL, Scheidman ES (eds): The Cry for Help . New York, McGraw-Hill Book Co Inc, 1961;, pp 60-77.
15 +
Hamilton M:  A rating scale for depression . J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 23:56-62, 1960;.
16 +
Paykel ES, Hallowell C, Dressler D, et al:  Treatment of suicide attempters: A descriptive study . Arch Gen Psychiatry 31:487-491, 1974;.
17 +
Dressler D, Prusoff B, Mark H, et al:  Clinician attitudes towards the suicide attempter . J Nerv Ment Dis 160:146-155, 1975;.
18 +
Weissman MM, Fox K, Klerman GL:  Hostility and depression associated with suicide attempts . Am J Psychiatry 130:450-455, 1973;.
19 +
Fox K, Weissman MM:  Suicide attempts and drugs: Contradiction between method and intent . Soc Psychiatry 10:31-38, 1975;.
20 +
Weissman MM:  The epidemiology of suicide attempts, 1960 to 1971 . Arch Gen Psychiatry 30:737-746, 1974;.
21 +
Whitehead PC, Johnson FG, Ferrence R:  Measuring the incidence of self-injury: Some methodological and design considerations . Am J Orthopsychiatry 43:142-148, 1973;.
22 +
Mechanic D:  Some implications of illness behavior for medical sampling . N Engl J Med 269:244-247, 1963;.
23 +
Klerman GL:  Clinical research in depression . Arch Gen Psychiatry 24:305-319, 1971;.
24 +
Paykel ES, Klerman GL, Prusoff BA:  Treatment setting and clinical depression . Arch Gen Psychiatry 22:11-21, 1970;.
25 +
Klerman GL, Paykel ES:  Depressive pattern, social background, and hospitalization . J Nerv Ment Dis 150:466-478, 1970;.

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