Physical Exercise as Medicine for Self-Injurious Behavior

Self-injurious behavior is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Anxiety, substance abuse, posttraumatic stress disorder, trauma, depression, and personality disorders are commonly reported in patients with self-injurious behavior. The primary purpose of this article is to present a summary of research examining the effectiveness of exercise to reduce self-injurious behavior and to recommend directions for further research. Major research databases including PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, Taylor & Francis, Google Scholar, PsycINFO, MEDLINE, and ERIC were searched for published work. Only five studies were found relevant to the topic of our interest: one retrospective case study, two cross-sectional studies, and two interventional/experimental studies. The results of interventional studies found beneficial effects of aerobic exercise for reduction in self-injurious behavior. In addition, cross-sectional studies found effectiveness of moderate to vigorous exercise for self-injury. The findings also showed that exercise appeared to reduce negative psychological conditions and improve overall psychological states in people with self-injurious behavior. [ Psychiatr Ann . 2020;50(4):167–177.]