Self-harm without suicidal intent

Mental health and substance use. Also called: Nonsuicidal self-injury, NSSI.

How common is Self-harm without suicidal intent in the US?

US military veterans self-reporting a lifetime history of nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI): 4.2% (US military veterans (2019-2020 National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study, nationally representative sample, n=4,069); United States (nationally representative survey of US military veterans), 2019-2020). Source: Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 2021. Label: REPORTED.

• 4.2% US military veterans self-reporting a lifetime history of nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). Out of: US military veterans (2019-2020 National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study, nationally representative sample, n=4,069). Where: United States (nationally representative survey of US military veterans). When: 2019-2020. Limited to US military veterans, not the general US population. Label: REPORTED.

  The overall prevalence of lifetime NSSI was 4.2% (95% confidence interval [3.6%, 4.9%]).

  Source: Non-suicidal self-injury in US military veterans: Results from the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 2021. PubMed 34599541. DOI 10.1002/cpp.2673.

Each figure measures something different. Do not compare them with each other or with other conditions.

Medical codes

• ICD-10-CM FY2026: R45.88 Nonsuicidal self-harm (exact). Code added to the set in FY2022.

Research activity

As of 2026-09-24: 97 registered studies on ClinicalTrials.gov (search Nonsuicidal Self-Injury) and 2,100 PubMed records, 2021 to 2025. A count of records is not how common or serious the condition is.

Population information, not medical advice. Methodology · Known limitations