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Functions of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury: Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analyses in a Large Community Sample of Adolescents

Dahlstrom, Orjan ; Zetterqvist, Maria ; Lundh, Lars-Gunnar LU and Svedin, Carl Goran (2015) In Psychological Assessment 27(1). p.302-313
Abstract
Given that nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is prevalent in adolescents, structured assessment is an essential tool to guide treatment interventions. The Functional Assessment of Self-Mutilation (FASM) is a self-report scale that assesses frequency, methods, and functions of NSSI. FASM was administered to 3,097 Swedish adolescents in a community sample. With the aim of examining the underlying factor structure of the functions of FASM in this sample, the adolescents with NSSI who completed all function items (n = 836) were randomly divided into 2 subsamples for cross-validation purposes. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was followed by a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using the mean and variance adjusted weighted least squares... (More)
Given that nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is prevalent in adolescents, structured assessment is an essential tool to guide treatment interventions. The Functional Assessment of Self-Mutilation (FASM) is a self-report scale that assesses frequency, methods, and functions of NSSI. FASM was administered to 3,097 Swedish adolescents in a community sample. With the aim of examining the underlying factor structure of the functions of FASM in this sample, the adolescents with NSSI who completed all function items (n = 836) were randomly divided into 2 subsamples for cross-validation purposes. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was followed by a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using the mean and variance adjusted weighted least squares (WLSMV) estimator in the Mplus statistical modeling program. The results of the EFA suggested a 3-factor model (social influence, automatic functions, and nonconformist peer identification), which was supported by a good fit in the CFA. Factors differentiated between social/interpersonal and automatic/intrapersonal functions. Based on learning theory and the specific concepts of negative and positive reinforcement, the nonconformist peer identification factor was then split into 2 factors (peer identification and avoiding demands). The resulting 4-factor model showed an excellent fit. Dividing social functions into separate factors (social influence, peer identification, and avoiding demands) can be helpful in clinical practice, where the assessment of NSSI functions is an important tool with direct implications for treatment. (Less)
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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
nonsuicidal self-injury, assessment, adolescents, functions, factor, analysis
in
Psychological Assessment
volume
27
issue
1
pages
302 - 313
publisher
American Psychological Association (APA)
external identifiers
  • wos:000350974100027
  • scopus:84925631437
  • pmid:25558962
ISSN
1040-3590
DOI
10.1037/pas0000034
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
9f730c04-3382-404b-92bc-9f5135d8f585 (old id 5297225)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 14:27:01
date last changed
2022-04-22 03:18:55
@article{9f730c04-3382-404b-92bc-9f5135d8f585,
  abstract     = {{Given that nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is prevalent in adolescents, structured assessment is an essential tool to guide treatment interventions. The Functional Assessment of Self-Mutilation (FASM) is a self-report scale that assesses frequency, methods, and functions of NSSI. FASM was administered to 3,097 Swedish adolescents in a community sample. With the aim of examining the underlying factor structure of the functions of FASM in this sample, the adolescents with NSSI who completed all function items (n = 836) were randomly divided into 2 subsamples for cross-validation purposes. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was followed by a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using the mean and variance adjusted weighted least squares (WLSMV) estimator in the Mplus statistical modeling program. The results of the EFA suggested a 3-factor model (social influence, automatic functions, and nonconformist peer identification), which was supported by a good fit in the CFA. Factors differentiated between social/interpersonal and automatic/intrapersonal functions. Based on learning theory and the specific concepts of negative and positive reinforcement, the nonconformist peer identification factor was then split into 2 factors (peer identification and avoiding demands). The resulting 4-factor model showed an excellent fit. Dividing social functions into separate factors (social influence, peer identification, and avoiding demands) can be helpful in clinical practice, where the assessment of NSSI functions is an important tool with direct implications for treatment.}},
  author       = {{Dahlstrom, Orjan and Zetterqvist, Maria and Lundh, Lars-Gunnar and Svedin, Carl Goran}},
  issn         = {{1040-3590}},
  keywords     = {{nonsuicidal self-injury; assessment; adolescents; functions; factor; analysis}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{302--313}},
  publisher    = {{American Psychological Association (APA)}},
  series       = {{Psychological Assessment}},
  title        = {{Functions of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury: Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analyses in a Large Community Sample of Adolescents}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/pas0000034}},
  doi          = {{10.1037/pas0000034}},
  volume       = {{27}},
  year         = {{2015}},
}