Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Developmental pathways of repetitive non-suicidal self-injury: predictors in adolescence and psychological outcomes in young adulthood

Wångby Lundh, Margit LU ; Lundh, Lars-Gunnar LU ; Claréus, Benjamin LU ; Bjärehed, Jonas LU and Daukantaité, Daiva LU (2023) In Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health 17.
Abstract
Background
Much longitudinal research has been carried out on non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) during the last decades, but there still is a lack of studies of the individual developmental pathways of NSSI from adolescence into young adulthood. The aim of the present study was to investigate individual developmental pathways of repetitive non-suicidal self-injury (repNSSI) from adolescence into young adulthood, including adolescent predictors and psychological outcomes in young adulthood. Three developmental pathways were targeted: stable adolescence-limited repNSSI; repNSSI prolonged into young adulthood; and late-onset repNSSI; with no repNSSI as comparison.

Methods
Data were taken from... (More)
Background
Much longitudinal research has been carried out on non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) during the last decades, but there still is a lack of studies of the individual developmental pathways of NSSI from adolescence into young adulthood. The aim of the present study was to investigate individual developmental pathways of repetitive non-suicidal self-injury (repNSSI) from adolescence into young adulthood, including adolescent predictors and psychological outcomes in young adulthood. Three developmental pathways were targeted: stable adolescence-limited repNSSI; repNSSI prolonged into young adulthood; and late-onset repNSSI; with no repNSSI as comparison.

Methods
Data were taken from a cohort of compulsory school students (N = 1064) in grades 7–8 in a Swedish municipality. The cohort was followed longitudinally, and this study included all individuals (n = 475) with NSSI data from three waves: T1 (when they were 13–15 years old); T2 (one year later); and T3 (ten years later). RepNSSI was operationalized as self-reports of at least 5 instances of NSSI during the past six/twelve months.

Results
The two pathways that involved stable repNSSI were observed significantly more often than expected by chance, with the strongest overrepresentation for the Prolonged RepNSSI pathway. Still, most adolescents who engaged in stable repNSSI stopped this before reaching young adulthood. Those who stopped did not, however, show a significantly better psychological adjustment in young adulthood than those who continued. Compared to participants with no repNSSI, participants who had stopped still reported significantly more stress, anxiety, and emotional dysregulation. As to the prediction of late onset NSSI, the findings were less robust, but sporadic NSSI at T1 and poor sleep at T2 were significant predictors, whereas depressive symptoms fell just short of significance at both timepoints.

Conclusions
The present results indicate that among adolescents who engage in stable adolescent repNSSI (1) significantly more individuals than expected by chance still engage in repNSSI ten years later, and (2) those who stop engaging in repNSSI do not show significantly better psychological adjustment than those who still engage in it. The present findings also indicate that late onset of repNSSI as reported in young adulthood to some extent is predictable from symptom measures ten years earlier. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Non-suicidal self-injury, Individual developmental pathways, Late onset, cessation, Depressive symptoms, Poor sleep
in
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health
volume
17
article number
116
publisher
BioMed Central (BMC)
external identifiers
  • scopus:85174209436
  • pmid:37833783
ISSN
1753-2000
DOI
10.1186/s13034-023-00660-5
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
61cf8b5d-e4a7-4191-aba0-bb9f76e5d981
alternative location
https://rdcu.be/dqpw5
date added to LUP
2023-11-06 17:53:53
date last changed
2024-02-06 03:00:07
@article{61cf8b5d-e4a7-4191-aba0-bb9f76e5d981,
  abstract     = {{Background<br/>Much longitudinal research has been carried out on non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) during the last decades, but there still is a lack of studies of the individual developmental pathways of NSSI from adolescence into young adulthood. The aim of the present study was to investigate individual developmental pathways of <i>repetitive non-suicidal self-injury </i>(repNSSI) from adolescence into young adulthood, including adolescent predictors and psychological outcomes in young adulthood. Three developmental pathways were targeted: <i>stable adolescence-limited repNSSI</i>; <i>repNSSI prolonged into young adulthood</i>; and <i>late-onset repNSSI</i>; with <i>no repNSSI</i> as comparison.<br/><br/>Methods<br/>Data were taken from a cohort of compulsory school students (N = 1064) in grades 7–8 in a Swedish municipality. The cohort was followed longitudinally, and this study included all individuals (n = 475) with NSSI data from three waves: T1 (when they were 13–15 years old); T2 (one year later); and T3 (ten years later). RepNSSI was operationalized as self-reports of at least 5 instances of NSSI during the past six/twelve months.<br/><br/>Results<br/>The two pathways that involved stable repNSSI were observed significantly more often than expected by chance, with the strongest overrepresentation for the Prolonged RepNSSI pathway. Still, most adolescents who engaged in stable repNSSI stopped this before reaching young adulthood. Those who stopped did not, however, show a significantly better psychological adjustment in young adulthood than those who continued. Compared to participants with no repNSSI, participants who had stopped still reported significantly more stress, anxiety, and emotional dysregulation. As to the prediction of late onset NSSI, the findings were less robust, but sporadic NSSI at T1 and poor sleep at T2 were significant predictors, whereas depressive symptoms fell just short of significance at both timepoints.<br/><br/>Conclusions<br/>The present results indicate that among adolescents who engage in stable adolescent repNSSI (1) significantly more individuals than expected by chance still engage in repNSSI ten years later, and (2) those who stop engaging in repNSSI do not show significantly better psychological adjustment than those who still engage in it. The present findings also indicate that late onset of repNSSI as reported in young adulthood to some extent is predictable from symptom measures ten years earlier.}},
  author       = {{Wångby Lundh, Margit and Lundh, Lars-Gunnar and Claréus, Benjamin and Bjärehed, Jonas and Daukantaité, Daiva}},
  issn         = {{1753-2000}},
  keywords     = {{Non-suicidal self-injury; Individual developmental pathways; Late onset; cessation; Depressive symptoms; Poor sleep}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{10}},
  publisher    = {{BioMed Central (BMC)}},
  series       = {{Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health}},
  title        = {{Developmental pathways of repetitive non-suicidal self-injury: predictors in adolescence and psychological outcomes in young adulthood}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13034-023-00660-5}},
  doi          = {{10.1186/s13034-023-00660-5}},
  volume       = {{17}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}