Psychiatric aspects of male genital self-mutilation

Abstract

From the beginning of the century to this day 57 cases of male genital self-mutilation have been reported in the English literature. In German publications we found 5 case descriptions. Although no precise data are available on the prevalence of male genital self-mutilation, such acts are presumably much more frequent than the small number of published cases would suggest. In the literature several features are regarded as risk factors for self-mutilation, such as e.g. homosexual or transsexual tendencies, repudiation of the male genitals, absence of a competent male for identification during childhood, feeling of guilt for sexual offences, and self-injury in the anamnesis. The most frequent diagnoses are schizophrenia and affective psychosis; alcohol intoxication was diagnosed in about one-fourth of the cases published. In the present paper we summarize data from the literature on epidemiology, psychopathology, psychodynamic and sociocultural factors in male genital automutilation and we describe 2 new cases of self-castration in which several of the risk factors described above were observed. We conclude that although it is difficult to estimate the risk of self-castration in view of the heterogeneity of the respective patient groups, the danger of such deeds should be kept in mind if the above factors are present.