Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a commonly occurring, yet historically poorly understood, mental health concern among post-secondary students. The present study sought to identify the current knowledge needs of university stakeholders to inform training efforts around effective NSSI response and student support on university campuses.
Participants were 1,762 university students, staff, and student-staff (77% female) from seven universities in Canada, the USA, New Zealand, and Australia.
Participants completed an online survey about their attitudes and knowledge of both general mental health and NSSI.
University stakeholders reported significantly greater stigma toward NSSI than mental illness in general. Student-staff reported greater perceived knowledge and comfort, and demonstrated greater knowledge of NSSI, than students and staff.
Findings underscore the need for additional training and resources to reduce stigma and increase knowledge about NSSI on university campuses internationally.
Keywords: Knowledge; nonsuicidal self-injury; post-secondary school; stigma; students.