The German Version of the Self-injurious Thoughts and Behaviors Interview (SITBI-G): a Tool to Assess Non-suicidal Self-injury and Suicidal Behavior Disorder

Overview

Journal BMC Psychiatry

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialty Psychiatry

Date 2014 Sep 19

PMID 25230931

Citations 55

Authors

Gloria Fischer

Nina Ameis

Peter Parzer

Paul L Plener

Rebecca Groschwitz

Eva Vonderlin

Michael Kolch

Romuald Brunner

Michael Kaess

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITBs) are common in adolescents. While there is no standardized interview in German to assess SITBs to date, the Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors Interview (SITBI) is widely used in English-speaking countries. However, the SITBI has not been validated for the assessment of the recently issued DSM-5 Section 3 diagnoses of nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicidal behavior disorder (SBD) yet. In the present study the psychometric properties of the German version of the SITBI (SITBI-G) were assessed. We also evaluated whether SITBI-G is a reliable and valid instrument to establish diagnoses of NSSI and SBD.

Methods: A clinical adolescent sample (N = 111, f/m = 73/38, age range = 12-19 years) was recruited from the inpatient units of three departments of child and adolescent psychiatry in Germany. All participating patients were interviewed by using the SITBI-G, and DSM-5 criteria of NSSI and SBD were operationalized from the SITBI-G data. Additionally, participants were given the Self-Harm Behavior Questionnaire (SHBQ), and SITBI-G was retested in a subsample.

Results: The SITBI-G shows moderate to good test-retest reliability, a very good interrater reliability, and a good construct validity. The results demonstrate that diagnoses of NSSI and SBD can be established using the SITBI-G, achieving moderate to good test-retest reliabilities and very good to perfect interrater reliabilities.

Conclusions: Overall, the good psychometric properties of SITBI-G are comparable to the original version of the interview. Therefore, SITBI-G seems to be highly appropriate to assess SITBs, including the new DSM-5 Section 3 diagnoses NSSI and SBD in research and clinical contexts.

Citing Articles

Validation of the Chinese version of the self-injurious thoughts and behaviors interview for adolescent outpatients in Taiwan: a cross-sectional study.

Huang H, Huang Y, Liu H, Huang C, Sung M, Sun F Sci Rep. 2025; 15(1):8058.

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Alterations of the endocannabinoid system in adolescents with non-suicidal self-injury as a function of childhood maltreatment.

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Cavelti M, Ruppen N, Sele S, Moessner M, Bauer S, Becker K Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2024; .

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