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Inventory of Statements About Self-Injury (ISAS)3

Inventory of Statements About Self-Injury (ISAS) Test

Understand the motives behind self-injury in about 8 minutes. Get a clear, structured picture to guide support and therapy with less guesswork.

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Questions: 398 minutes

08:30

October 2, 2025

October 2, 2025
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

20,556 views

2,415 completions

1,981 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

4/6

Self-Punishment (SP)

This scale measures the extent to which self-injury is used to punish oneself or express self-directed dissatisfaction after perceived mistakes or failures.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 1: Low | 2 – 4: Moderate | 5 – 6: High

A score of 4 indicates a moderate tendency to use self-injury as a form of self-punishment or self-criticism in response to perceived shortcomings.

example score

3/6

Affect Regulation (AR)

Measures the extent to which self-injury is used to reduce or manage intense negative emotions.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 2: Low | 3 – 4: Moderate | 5 – 6: High

A score of 3 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting self-injury is sometimes used as a way to cope with emotional distress.

example score

3/6

Interpersonal Boundaries (IB)

This scale measures the extent to which self-injury is used to create or maintain distance from others and reinforce a sense of separateness.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 2: Low | 3 – 4: Moderate | 5 – 6: High

A score of 3 suggests a moderate tendency to use self-injury as a way to set interpersonal distance or emphasize individuality.

example score

2/6

Self-Care (SC)

Measures the extent to which post-injury wound care is experienced as a self-nurturing act that provides temporary relief or satisfaction.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 1: Low | 2 – 4: Moderate | 5 – 6: High

A score of 2 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting wound care sometimes serves a self-nurturing function and may provide some temporary relief or satisfaction.

example score

2/6

Anti-Dissociation (AD)

This scale measures the extent to which physical pain is used to counter emotional numbness and restore a sense of reality.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 2: Low | 3 – 4: Moderate | 5 – 6: High

A score of 2 suggests a low tendency to use pain specifically to feel real or break through emotional numbness.

example score

3/6

Suicide Prevention (SP)

This scale measures the extent to which self-injury is used to cope with suicidal thoughts as an alternative to a suicide attempt.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 1: Low | 2 – 4: Moderate | 5 – 6: High

A score of 3 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting self-injury is sometimes used as a coping strategy to manage suicidal thoughts rather than acting on them.

example score

1/6

Sensation Seeking (SS)

This scale measures the extent to which self-injurious behavior is used to seek intense, novel, or unusual sensations.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 1: Low | 2 – 4: Moderate | 5 – 6: High

A score of 1 suggests that seeking new or intense experiences is a minimal motive for self-injurious behavior relative to other possible functions.

example score

4/6

Peer Bonding (PB)

This scale measures the extent to which self-injury is used to fit in with peers, strengthen group bonds, or meet social expectations.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 2: Low | 3 – 4: Moderate | 5 – 6: High

A score of 4 suggests a moderate tendency to use self-injury in connection with peer belonging or social expectations.

example score

3/6

Interpersonal Influence (II)

Interpersonal Influence measures the extent to which self-injury is used to communicate distress or elicit care and support from others.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 1: Low | 2 – 4: Moderate | 5 – 6: High

A score of 3 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting self-injury may sometimes function as a way to signal emotional pain or prompt support from others.

example score

3/6

Significance (S)

This scale measures the extent to which self-injury is used to demonstrate toughness, endurance of pain, or strength to oneself or others.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 2: Low | 3 – 4: Moderate | 5 – 6: High

A score of 3 suggests a moderate tendency to use self-injury as a way to feel or show personal strength or the ability to tolerate pain.

example score

2/6

Signaling Distress (SD)

Measures the extent to which self-harm is used to express and validate experienced emotional distress.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 2: Low | 3 – 4: Moderate | 5 – 6: High

A score of 2 falls in the Low range, suggesting self-harm is less often used to express or validate emotional tension compared with higher scores.

example score

3/6

Revenge (R)

Measures the extent to which self-harm is used to indirectly express anger or punish someone else.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 1: Low | 2 – 4: Moderate | 5 – 6: High

A score of 3 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting revenge-related motives are present at a noticeable but not dominant level among possible reasons for self-harm.

example score

3/6

Autonomy (A)

Autonomy measures the extent to which self-injury is used to assert independence and signal reduced need for support from others.

Low autonomy function

Moderate autonomy function

High autonomy function

0 – 1: Low autonomy function | 2 – 4: Moderate autonomy function | 5 – 6: High autonomy function

A score of 3 indicates a moderate tendency to use self-injury as a way to emphasize self-reliance or distance from others' help.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

People in active therapy

41%OF USERS

People who already self-injure and want to clarify the motives and triggers to guide ongoing treatment and coping plans.

Mental health clinicians

35%OF USERS

Therapists and clinicians use it to quickly structure a client’s reasons for self-injury and plan targeted support.

Researchers and trainees

24%OF USERS

Students and researchers in psychology or psychiatry use it to assess functions of self-injury for studies and clinical training.

BASED ON AGGREGATED, ANONYMIZED DATA FROM TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FREUDLY USERS.

Benchmarking

See How You Compare

Once you complete the test, your results are compared with real-world data from people in your country.
Below is a preview of how scores are typically distributed across each scale.

Self-punishment (S)

Average

4.1

Normal range

3.3 — 4.8

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Affective Regulation (AR)

Average

1.9

Normal range

0.9 — 3

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Interpersonal Boundaries (IB)

Average

2.8

Normal range

2.1 — 3.6

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Self-Care (S)

Average

3.4

Normal range

2.6 — 4.2

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Anti-dissociation (A)

Average

Normal range

2.2 — 3.9

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Suicide Prevention (SP)

Average

3.6

Normal range

2.6 — 4.7

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Seeking New Experiences (SNE)

Average

2.4

Normal range

1.3 — 3.4

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Bonding with Peers (BwP)

Average

2.5

Normal range

1.6 — 3.3

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Interpersonal Influence (II)

Average

1.6

Normal range

0.8 — 2.3

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Significance (S)

Average

Normal range

2.9 — 5.1

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Distress Definition (DD)

Average

2.2

Normal range

1.2 — 3.3

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Revenge (R)

Average

4.4

Normal range

3.3 — 5.5

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Autonomy (A)

Average

2.2

Normal range

1.2 — 3.2

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

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SAMPLE QUESTIONS

Example Questions From the Test

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- Very relevant

These are 3 of the 39 real questions — the rest appear in the test. No sign-up needed to start.

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WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

About This Assessment

Inventory of Statements About Self-Injury (ISAS) Test - Symptoms and Signs

psychopathology

self-harm

This measure is designed to support clinical understanding of non-suicidal self-injury and related motivations. The Inventory of Statements About Self-Injury (ISAS) is a self-report questionnaire intended for individuals with a history of self-injurious behavior, focusing on characterizing behavior patterns and the functions the behavior may serve.

The instrument includes 39 items and typically requires about 8 minutes to complete. It can be used to organize information about frequency and methods of self-injury and to evaluate commonly endorsed reasons for the behavior in clinical or research contexts. The Inventory of Statements About Self-Injury (ISAS) was developed by E. D. Klonsky and C. R. Glenn and is not intended as a standalone diagnostic tool or as a primary screening measure in the absence of reported self-injury.

Author: C. R. Glenn, E. D. Klonsky

Literature: Nock, M. K. Self-injury. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology. 2010.; Klonsky, E. D., & Glenn, C. R. Assessing the functions of non-suicidal self-injury: Psychometric properties of the Inventory of Statements About Self-injury (ISAS). Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment. 2009.