SIB
Medical abbreviation · Mental Health & Psychiatry
| Stands for | Self-injurious behavior |
|---|---|
| Categories | Medical |
SIB stands for Self-injurious behavior, a mental health & psychiatry abbreviation.
Repetitive self-directed harmful behaviors such as head banging, hand biting, scratching or hitting, used mainly in the context of autism, intellectual disability and genetic syndromes. Assessment looks for the function of the behavior, such as communicating pain, escaping demands or seeking sensory input.
Example: SIB (head banging) increases with ear infections; functional behavior assessment and pain workup.
Usage notes
Applied behavior analysis and functional communication training are mainstays of treatment. Medical causes such as dental pain, constipation or ear infection should be excluded when SIB suddenly increases. Some syndromes, such as Lesch-Nyhan syndrome, are characterized by severe self-injury. In adolescent mental health the term NSSI is preferred.
Related abbreviations
More mental health & psychiatry abbreviations
- RAD – Reactive attachment disorder
- SA – Suicide attempt
- SAD – Seasonal affective disorder
- SBIRT – Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment
- SCZ – Schizophrenia
- SI – Suicidal ideation
- SLD – Specific learning disorder
- SMI – Serious mental illness
- SUD – Substance use disorder
- TD – Tardive dyskinesia
- TF-CBT – Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy
- TMS – Transcranial magnetic stimulation
See all 100 mental health & psychiatry abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.