NSSI

Question 1

what is NSSI

Answer 1

thoughts/behaviors related to deliverate infliction of injury to one’s body w/o suicidal intent. cutting, head banging, hitting, scratching
- response to overwhelming neg emotions/cogs or to feeling numb/empty for most; to gain attention is rare, or to escape demands for a few ppl

Question 2

sex differences

Answer 2

more common in girls (2:1) in many, but not all, community and clinical samples
- not all studies find a sex diff, could be due to questions asked, there is not a standard used across studies

Question 3

ages of engagement in NSSI

Answer 3

behs begins usually in early adolescence (13-14yrs), stabilize during middle adolescence, and then declines during late adolescence (50-80% stop)
- pattern is same in boys and girls

Question 4

common psychiatric disorders that NSSI occurs in

Answer 4

NSSI behs occur in youth with diagnoses of MDD, substance use disorder, EDs, anxiety disorders, PTSD, BPD
- about 40% do not present w/ mental health diagnosis

Question 5

relationship b/t suicide and NSSI

Answer 5

NSSI causes injury, but no intent to die VS. suicide attempt involves intent to die, but may/not result in injury
- NSSI is more common, usually develops at younger age, and involves use of more methods than suicide attempts

Question 6

4 factors related to NSSI (list)

Answer 6

emotional, behavioral, interpersonal, biological

Question 7

emotional + behavioral factors in NSSI

Answer 7

individual (emotional): more distress, neg thoughts, more anger/impulsivity

individual (beh): more risk behs, probs w/ emotional regulation/reactivity

Question 8

interpersonal and bio factors of NSSI

Answer 8

interpersonal: conflicted parent-child relationships, family violence, friends who do NSSI behs, past trauma

biological: dysfunction of HPA axis, biochemistry

Question 9

Monto et al. 3 predictors of NSSI

Answer 9

1) feeling sad for 2wks
2) attempted suicide in last year
3) electronically bullied

Question 10

2 results related to stopping NSSI

Answer 10

1) related to increases in substance use, but each year after stopping NSSI, dep., anxiety, substance use improved

2) symptoms levels continued to be higher than for youth who had not engaged in NSSI for 5+ years

Question 11

5 myths about NSSI

Answer 11

1) only females self harm (30-40% are male)
2) only teens self harm
3) self-injury is just attention seeking
4) people who self harm only cut themselves
5) people who self injure enjoy the pain or they can’t feel it (it often hurts, people may do it to reconnect w/ body or just to feel something)