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Self-mutilation and contagion: an empirical test

Published Online:https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.142.1.119

Twenty-five subjects treated at a center for disturbed adolescents were observed over a 1-year period for signs of self-mutilative contagion. Statistical analysis confirmed that self-mutilation occurred in clusters throughout the year, suggesting that subjects imitated one another's behavior.

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