Non-suicidal self-injury in adolescents: Support for a specific distress – function relationship.
(2014) In Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health 8(23).- Abstract
- Background: This study has investigated the specific relationship between childhood adversities, individual trauma
symptoms and the functions of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). The aim was to examine whether different
self-reported adverse experiences and trauma symptoms predict the need to engage in NSSI, either to regulate
emotions or to communicate with and influence others.
Method: The participants were a community sample of 816 adolescents aged 15–17 years with NSSI. Hierarchical
multiple regression was used, controlling for NSSI frequency and gender. The dependent variables were the
automatic and social functions of NSSI, respectively. The predictors entered in the model were... (More) - Background: This study has investigated the specific relationship between childhood adversities, individual trauma
symptoms and the functions of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). The aim was to examine whether different
self-reported adverse experiences and trauma symptoms predict the need to engage in NSSI, either to regulate
emotions or to communicate with and influence others.
Method: The participants were a community sample of 816 adolescents aged 15–17 years with NSSI. Hierarchical
multiple regression was used, controlling for NSSI frequency and gender. The dependent variables were the
automatic and social functions of NSSI, respectively. The predictors entered in the model were several different
maltreatment and adversity experiences as well as individual trauma symptoms. Mediation analyses were also
performed using the bootstrapping method with bias-corrected confidence estimates.
Results: Frequency of NSSI, gender (female), emotional abuse, prolonged illness or handicap during upbringing
and symptoms of depression uniquely predicted the automatic functions of NSSI in the final regression model, but
not the social functions. Symptoms of anxiety uniquely predicted social but not automatic functions. Having
experienced physical abuse, having made a suicide attempt and symptoms of dissociation were significant
predictors in both final models. The model for automatic functions explained more of the variance (62%) than the
social model (28%). The relationship between childhood emotional, physical and sexual abuse and performing NSSI
for automatic reasons was mediated by symptoms of depression and dissociation. The relationship between
physical abuse and the social functions of NSSI was mediated by symptoms of anxiety and dissociation.
Conclusions: It is important to understand the specific context in which NSSI has developed and is maintained.
Experiences of emotional abuse and symptoms of depression could guide clinical work in the direction of emotion
regulation skills since in this study these variables were uniquely associated with the need to engage in NSSI to
regulate emotions, to self-punish or to generate feelings. The presence of physical abuse, a suicide attempt and
symptoms of dissociation could alert clinicians to a broad treatment approach since they were associated with
performing NSSI to regulate both social and automatic experiences. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/4645407
- author
- Zetterqvist, Maria ; Lundh, Lars-Gunnar LU and Svedin, Carl Göran LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2014
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- trauma symptoms, adverse life events, function, non-suicidal self-injury, adolescents
- in
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health
- volume
- 8
- issue
- 23
- publisher
- BioMed Central (BMC)
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:84905729000
- pmid:25110519
- wos:000209640400022
- ISSN
- 1753-2000
- DOI
- 10.1186/1753-2000-8-23
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 56e6bccb-804b-4262-9948-f753c1fc8d32 (old id 4645407)
- alternative location
- http://www.capmh.com/content/8/1/23
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-01 14:08:02
- date last changed
- 2022-01-27 22:55:48
@article{56e6bccb-804b-4262-9948-f753c1fc8d32,
abstract = {{Background: This study has investigated the specific relationship between childhood adversities, individual trauma<br/><br>
symptoms and the functions of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). The aim was to examine whether different<br/><br>
self-reported adverse experiences and trauma symptoms predict the need to engage in NSSI, either to regulate<br/><br>
emotions or to communicate with and influence others.<br/><br>
Method: The participants were a community sample of 816 adolescents aged 15–17 years with NSSI. Hierarchical<br/><br>
multiple regression was used, controlling for NSSI frequency and gender. The dependent variables were the<br/><br>
automatic and social functions of NSSI, respectively. The predictors entered in the model were several different<br/><br>
maltreatment and adversity experiences as well as individual trauma symptoms. Mediation analyses were also<br/><br>
performed using the bootstrapping method with bias-corrected confidence estimates.<br/><br>
Results: Frequency of NSSI, gender (female), emotional abuse, prolonged illness or handicap during upbringing<br/><br>
and symptoms of depression uniquely predicted the automatic functions of NSSI in the final regression model, but<br/><br>
not the social functions. Symptoms of anxiety uniquely predicted social but not automatic functions. Having<br/><br>
experienced physical abuse, having made a suicide attempt and symptoms of dissociation were significant<br/><br>
predictors in both final models. The model for automatic functions explained more of the variance (62%) than the<br/><br>
social model (28%). The relationship between childhood emotional, physical and sexual abuse and performing NSSI<br/><br>
for automatic reasons was mediated by symptoms of depression and dissociation. The relationship between<br/><br>
physical abuse and the social functions of NSSI was mediated by symptoms of anxiety and dissociation.<br/><br>
Conclusions: It is important to understand the specific context in which NSSI has developed and is maintained.<br/><br>
Experiences of emotional abuse and symptoms of depression could guide clinical work in the direction of emotion<br/><br>
regulation skills since in this study these variables were uniquely associated with the need to engage in NSSI to<br/><br>
regulate emotions, to self-punish or to generate feelings. The presence of physical abuse, a suicide attempt and<br/><br>
symptoms of dissociation could alert clinicians to a broad treatment approach since they were associated with<br/><br>
performing NSSI to regulate both social and automatic experiences.}},
author = {{Zetterqvist, Maria and Lundh, Lars-Gunnar and Svedin, Carl Göran}},
issn = {{1753-2000}},
keywords = {{trauma symptoms; adverse life events; function; non-suicidal self-injury; adolescents}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{23}},
publisher = {{BioMed Central (BMC)}},
series = {{Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health}},
title = {{Non-suicidal self-injury in adolescents: Support for a specific distress – function relationship.}},
url = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/3806581/4646100.pdf}},
doi = {{10.1186/1753-2000-8-23}},
volume = {{8}},
year = {{2014}},
}