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A comparison of adolescents engaging in self-injurious behavior with and without suicidal intent: Self-reported experiences of adverse life events and trauma symptoms

Zetterqvist, Maria ; Lundh, Lars-Gunnar LU and Svedin, Carl Göran (2013) In Journal of Youth and Adolescence 42(8). p.1257-1272
Abstract
Research comparing adolescents engaging in suicidal and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), both separately and in combination, is still at an early stage. The purpose of the present study was to examine overlapping and distinguishable features in groups with different types of self-injurious behaviors, using a large community sample of 2,964 (50.6 % female) Swedish adolescents aged 15–17 years. Adolescents were grouped into six categories based on self-reported lifetime prevalence of self-injurious behaviors. Of the total sample, 1,651 (55.7 %) adolescents reported no self-injurious behavior, 630 (21.2 %) reported NSSI 1–4 times, 177 (6.0 %) reported NSSI 5–10 times, 311 (10.5 %) reported NSSI C 11 times, 26 (0.9 %) reported lifetime... (More)
Research comparing adolescents engaging in suicidal and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), both separately and in combination, is still at an early stage. The purpose of the present study was to examine overlapping and distinguishable features in groups with different types of self-injurious behaviors, using a large community sample of 2,964 (50.6 % female) Swedish adolescents aged 15–17 years. Adolescents were grouped into six categories based on self-reported lifetime prevalence of self-injurious behaviors. Of the total sample, 1,651 (55.7 %) adolescents reported no self-injurious behavior, 630 (21.2 %) reported NSSI 1–4 times, 177 (6.0 %) reported NSSI 5–10 times, 311 (10.5 %) reported NSSI C 11 times, 26 (0.9 %) reported lifetime prevalence of suicide attempt and 169 (5.7 %) adolescents reported both NSSI and suicide attempt. After controlling for gender, parental occupation and living conditions, there were significant differences between groups. Pairwise comparisons showed that adolescents with both NSSI and suicide attempt reported significantly more adverse life events and trauma symptoms than adolescents with only NSSI, regardless of NSSI frequency. The largest differences (effect sizes) were found for interpersonal negative events and for symptoms of depression and posttraumatic stress. Adolescents with frequent NSSI reported more adversities and trauma symptoms than those with less frequent NSSI. There were also significant differences between all the NSSI groups and adolescents without any self-injurious behavior. These findings draw attention to the importance of considering the cumulative exposure of different types of adversities and trauma symptoms when describing self-injurious behaviors, with and without suicidal intent. (Less)
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Non-suicidal self-injury, Suicide, Adolescents, Adverse life events, Trauma symptoms
in
Journal of Youth and Adolescence
volume
42
issue
8
pages
1257 - 1272
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • wos:000321973800012
  • scopus:84880514102
ISSN
0047-2891
DOI
10.1007/s10964-012-9872-6
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
a1a6ec85-6ced-49c0-86b0-caa4dc738bb1 (old id 3241747)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 13:55:52
date last changed
2022-04-14 07:08:13
@article{a1a6ec85-6ced-49c0-86b0-caa4dc738bb1,
  abstract     = {{Research comparing adolescents engaging in suicidal and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), both separately and in combination, is still at an early stage. The purpose of the present study was to examine overlapping and distinguishable features in groups with different types of self-injurious behaviors, using a large community sample of 2,964 (50.6 % female) Swedish adolescents aged 15–17 years. Adolescents were grouped into six categories based on self-reported lifetime prevalence of self-injurious behaviors. Of the total sample, 1,651 (55.7 %) adolescents reported no self-injurious behavior, 630 (21.2 %) reported NSSI 1–4 times, 177 (6.0 %) reported NSSI 5–10 times, 311 (10.5 %) reported NSSI C 11 times, 26 (0.9 %) reported lifetime prevalence of suicide attempt and 169 (5.7 %) adolescents reported both NSSI and suicide attempt. After controlling for gender, parental occupation and living conditions, there were significant differences between groups. Pairwise comparisons showed that adolescents with both NSSI and suicide attempt reported significantly more adverse life events and trauma symptoms than adolescents with only NSSI, regardless of NSSI frequency. The largest differences (effect sizes) were found for interpersonal negative events and for symptoms of depression and posttraumatic stress. Adolescents with frequent NSSI reported more adversities and trauma symptoms than those with less frequent NSSI. There were also significant differences between all the NSSI groups and adolescents without any self-injurious behavior. These findings draw attention to the importance of considering the cumulative exposure of different types of adversities and trauma symptoms when describing self-injurious behaviors, with and without suicidal intent.}},
  author       = {{Zetterqvist, Maria and Lundh, Lars-Gunnar and Svedin, Carl Göran}},
  issn         = {{0047-2891}},
  keywords     = {{Non-suicidal self-injury; Suicide; Adolescents; Adverse life events; Trauma symptoms}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{8}},
  pages        = {{1257--1272}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Journal of Youth and Adolescence}},
  title        = {{A comparison of adolescents engaging in self-injurious behavior with and without suicidal intent: Self-reported experiences of adverse life events and trauma symptoms}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10964-012-9872-6}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s10964-012-9872-6}},
  volume       = {{42}},
  year         = {{2013}},
}