Self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITBs) commonly begin during adolescence and are of growing concern. Mental health services for youth who experience SITBs are often limited, with crisis lines being among the most easily accessible support. However, more services are needed that more explicitly target factors that contribute to SITBs. This presentation reviews recent results on the characteristics of youth who use a particular crisis service, the role of neurobiology in SITBs, and an ongoing study incorporating both neuroimaging and intervention in an effort to further our understanding of how to best help youth with SITBs.
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<p>Mindy Westlund Schreiner, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor at the University of Utah. Dr. Westlund Schreiner’s research and clinical expertise is in the area of self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITBs) in adolescents. Her work incorporates both intervention and neuroimaging in an effort to identify mechanisms of change and targets for treatments to more effectively reduce psychopathology in youth. Recently, she has been focused on the role of rumination, or repetitive negative thinking, in the onset and maintenance of SITBs. She also is part of the Research and Quality Improvement Program (ReQuIP) for SafeUT, an app-based crisis chat service available to youth in Utah.</p>
Jeffrey Borenstein, M.D., serves as the President & CEO of the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation, the largest private funder of mental health research grants. Dr. Borenstein developed the Emmy-nominated public television program “Healthy Minds,” and serves as host and executive producer of the series. The program, broadcast nationwide, is available online, and focuses on topics in psychiatry in order to educate the public, reduce stigma and offer a message of hope. Dr. Borenstein served as Editor-in-Chief of Psychiatric News, the newspaper of the American Psychiatric Association from 2012 - 2023.
Dr. Borenstein is a Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine and serves as the Chair of the Section of Psychiatry at the Academy. He also has served as the President of the New York State Psychiatric Association. Dr. Borenstein earned his undergraduate degree at Harvard and his medical degree at New York University.
