Pain Sensitivity As a State Marker and Predictor for Adolescent Non-suicidal Self-injury

Overview

Journal Psychol Med

Publisher Cambridge University Press

Specialty Psychology

Date 2024 Mar 11

PMID 38465743

Authors

Han-Tin Kao

Ines Murner-Lavanchy

Elisabeth von Stosch

Johannes Josi

Thomas Berger

Julian Koenig

Michael Kaess

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: The pain analgesia hypothesis suggests that reduced pain sensitivity (PS) is a specific risk factor for the engagement in non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). Consistent with this, several studies found reduced PS in adults as well as adolescents with NSSI. Cross-sectional studies in adults with borderline personality disorder (BPD) suggest that PS may (partially) normalize after remission or reduction of BPD symptoms. The objective of the present study was to investigate the development of PS over 1 year in a sample of adolescents with NSSI and to investigate whether PS at baseline predicts longitudinal change in NSSI.

Methods: = 66 adolescents who underwent specialized treatment for NSSI disorder participated in baseline and 1-year follow-up assessments, including heat pain stimulation for the measurement of pain threshold and tolerance. Associations between PS and NSSI as well as BPD and depressive symptoms were examined using negative binomial, logistic, and linear regression analyses.

Results: We found that a decrease in pain threshold over time was associated with reduced NSSI (incident rate ratio = 2.04, = 0.047) and that higher pain tolerance at baseline predicted lower probability for NSSI (odds ratio = 0.42, = 0.016) 1 year later. However, the latter effect did not survive Holm correction ( = 0.059). No associations between PS and BPD or depressive symptoms were observed.

Conclusion: Our findings suggest that pain threshold might normalize with a decrease in NSSI frequency and could thus serve as a state marker for NSSI.

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