Alcohol use prior to episodes of nonsuicidal self-injury in women with borderline personality disorder participating in a randomized clinical trial of dialectical behavior therapy.

Alcohol use is an important, but understudied, risk factor for nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI), defined as deliberate physical harm to oneself without intent to die. Alcohol use may facilitate engagement in NSSI by increasing impulsivity and physical pain tolerance. Limited data also suggest that people engage in more medically severe NSSI under the influence of alcohol.