Symptom Shifting From Nonsuicidal Self-Injury to Substance Use and Borderline Personality Pathology

A decline in nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) behavior is often viewed as an indication of mental health improvement when treating adolescents and young adults with borderline personality pathology. However, evidence shows that an initial decrease in NSSI behavior does not always signal recovery, and potential symptom shifting needs to be considered.