Nonsuicidal Self-Injury in Adolescents

Overview

Journal Dtsch Arztebl Int

Specialties General Medicine
Public Health

Date 2018 Jan 26

PMID 29366448

Citations 45

Authors

Paul L Plener

Michael Kaess

Christian Schmahl

Stefan Pollak

Jorg M Fegert

Rebecca C Brown

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: 25-35% of adolescents in random samples drawn from German schools have been found to have manifested at least one episode of nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). The prevalence in samples from child and adolescent psychiatric clinics is approximately 50%. NSSI can arise as a symptom in the setting of various types of mental illness.

Methods: This review is based on a selective literature search carried out in the PubMed, PsycINFO, and Cochrane Library databases, with special consideration of regional study samples.

Results: NSSI is usually resorted to as a dysfunctional coping strategy for emotional regulation. The main risk factors for NSSI include bullying, accompanying mental illnesses, and a history of abuse and neglect in childhood. Neurobiological studies have shown abnormal stress processing in persons with NSSI and an elevated pain threshold in persons with repetitive NSSI. Psychotherapeutic interventions of various kinds lessen the frequency of NSSI; to date, no particular type of psychotherapy has been found to be clearly superior to the others. Randomized controlled trials have revealed small to moderate effects from dialectic-behavioral therapy and mentalization-based therapy in adolescent patients. No psychoactive drug has yet been found to possess specific efficacy against NSSI in adolescents.

Conclusion: The first ever German-language clinical guidelines for the treatment of NSSI have now been issued. Psychotherapy is the treatment of first choice. More research is needed so that subgroups with different disease courses can be more clearly defined.

Citing Articles

Non-suicidal self-injury risk among left-behind children and adolescents in China: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Zheng Q, Chen X, Deng Y, Ji Y, Liu Q, Zhang C World J Psychiatry. 2025; 15(2):101595.

PMID: 39974475 PMC: 11758040. DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v15.i2.101595.

Prediction of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) among rural Chinese junior high school students: a machine learning approach.

Jiang Z, Cui Y, Xu H, Abbey C, Xu W, Guo W Ann Gen Psychiatry. 2024; 23(1):48.

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The reciprocal relationship between depressive symptoms and deliberate self-harm among Chinese rural adolescents: a cross-lagged panel analysis.

Liu Q, Xu X, Jiang J, Peng W, Ji Y, Yang R Front Public Health. 2024; 12:1422242.

PMID: 39628810 PMC: 11611711. DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1422242.

Prevalence and correlates of emotion dysregulation among children and adolescents in Lebanon: results from a National Survey.

Baroud E, Alrojolah L, Shamseddeen W, Ghandour L, Elbejjani M, Barakat M BMC Psychiatry. 2024; 24(1):698.

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Cybervictimization and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Among Chinese College Students: an Exploration Through the Lens of Experiential Avoidance Model.

Chen Y, Liang H, Jiang H Psychol Res Behav Manag. 2024; 17:3133-3145.

PMID: 39280036 PMC: 11401518. DOI: 10.2147/PRBM.S476657.

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