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Social Factors Associated with Non-suicidal Self-Injury

A thematic series in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health.

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is highly prevalent among adolescents and young adults. Besides (neuro-) biological elements, social factors seem to play a crucial role in the onset and maintenance of NSSI. These factors can include parent-child or sibling relationships, peerrelationships, as well as experiences with social media or at school. 

Although cultural differences may have a large influence on the prevalence and nature of NSSI, little is known about NSSI in non-Western countries. Furthermore, potentially traumatizing life events can be associated with the onset and maintenance of NSSI. Especially for young people who were forced to leave their homes and live as refugees in foreign countries, one might expect higher rates of NSSI. However, research on NSSI in this particularly vulnerable group is scarce. 

In the current thematic series we brought together six unique manuscripts from different cultural backgrounds, focusing on a variety of potential social risk factors for the onset and maintenance of NSSI.

  2. Adolescents’ nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) leads to distress that affects the whole family system, and siblings are reported to suffer from disrupted family communication and functioning. So far, no studies h...

    Authors: Taru Tschan, Janine Lüdtke, Marc Schmid and Tina In-Albon
    Citation: Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health 2019 13:15
    Content type: Research article Published on:

  3. Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is defined as the repetitive, direct, and deliberate destruction of one’s body tissue without an intention to die. Existing cross-sectional research indicates that the associati...

    Authors: Amarendra Gandhi, Koen Luyckx, Geert Molenberghs, Imke Baetens, Lien Goossens, Shubhada Maitra and Laurence Claes
    Citation: Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health 2019 13:7
    Content type: Research article Published on:

  4. Adolescence is characterized by developmental changes in social relationships, which may contribute to, or protect against, psychopathology and risky behaviors. Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is one type of r...

    Authors: Sarah E. Victor, Alison E. Hipwell, Stephanie D. Stepp and Lori N. Scott
    Citation: Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health 2019 13:1
    Content type: Research article Published on:

  5. Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a complex behaviour and occurs most commonly during adolescence. This developmental period is characterized by the drive to establish an equilibrium between personal autonomy ...

    Authors: Lisa Waals, Imke Baetens, Peter Rober, Stephen Lewis, Hanna Van Parys, Eveline R. Goethals and Janis Whitlock
    Citation: Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health 2018 12:52
    Content type: Research article Published on:

  6. As many refugee minors have gone/go through stressful life experiences and uncertainty, one might expect mental health issues, including self-injury. However, literature on non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in r...

    Authors: Sarah Verroken, Chris Schotte, Ilse Derluyn and Imke Baetens
    Citation: Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health 2018 12:51
    Content type: Research article Published on:

  7. Deliberate self-harm (DSH) is a prominent mental health concern among adolescents. Few studies have examined adolescent DSH in non-Western countries. This study examines the prevalence, types and associated ri...

    Authors: Michelle Siu Min Lauw, Abishek Mathew Abraham and Cheryl Bee Lock Loh
    Citation: Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health 2018 12:35
    Content type: Research article Published on: