Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI) Throughout the Life-Span: The Prevalence and Psychosocial Characteristics of NSSI in different age groups.
Chair: Laurence Claes (KULeuven) Discussant: Imke Baetens (VUB) In the present symposium, we focus on non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) across the lifespan. NSSI refers to the intentional and direct harm to one's own body tissue without the intent to die, such as scratching, cutting and burning oneself. Our focus includes examining the prevalence and psychosocial characteristics of NSSI in various age groups, including adolescence, emerging adulthood, and older adults.
Non-Suicidal Self-Injury in Adolescents Presenter: Tinne Buelens (PhD) University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. NSSI reaches its peak onset in mid-adolescence, around the ages of 14 and 15. The adolescent years are marked by numerous developmental transitions and challenges, including identity exploration and body image concerns. This presentation will focus on understanding NSSI in adolescence, with a specific emphasis on its intersections with identity development and body image. First, we will discuss how NSSI may serve a dual function in adolescent identity development. On the one hand, NSSI can act as a maladaptive coping mechanism for identity-related distress. Striving to establish a coherent identity amidst cultural, social, and personal influences can cause significant distress. For some adolescents, NSSI provides a temporary sense of relief or control over these overwhelming emotions. On the other hand, NSSI can serve as a so-called ‘negative identity’ by adolescents who experience severe identity confusion or even a lack of identity. Specifically, adopting an ‘I am a self-injurer’- identity can be a quick-fix for feelings of emptiness that might come with severe disturbances in identity formation. Secondly, adolescence is characterized by heightened body image concerns, as individuals navigate physical changes and societal pressures to conform to idealized beauty standards. Research suggests a strong association between body dissatisfaction and NSSI behaviors in adolescence, with negative body image serving as both a risk factor and consequence of NSSI. In sum, we will discuss adolescent NSSI in general and in specific relation to identity and body image. We will briefly address how recent findings in these domains inform key prevention- and intervention targets.
Non-Suicidal Self-Injury in Emerging Adults: Prevalence, Course, and Predictors Presenter: Glenn Kiekens (PhD) Tilburg University, The Netherlands. KU Leuven, Belgium. This presentation explores the vulnerability of emerging adulthood (18-29 years) for non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and summarizes recent empirical findings on its prevalence, course, and associated risk and protective factors. Drawing from a global epidemiological study on 20,842 first-year college students, the pooled prevalence of lifetime, 12-month NSSI, and positive screen for DSM-5 NSSI disorder is estimated at 17.7%, 8.4%, and 2.3%, respectively. A second study reveals that only 0.8% of students meet full diagnostic criteria for DSM-5 NSSI disorder. The incidence of NSSI during the college years will be estimated at 10.3% and 6.0%, with 7.0% reporting repetitive NSSI for the first time during this period. A fourth study will consider NSSI persistence which is estimated at 56.4%, with 15.6% exhibiting a high-frequency repetitive pattern. Proximal and distal risk factors, such as childhood trauma, recent stressors, and mental disorders, are identified and incorporated into an integrative prediction model for identification of emerging adults at high risk for NSSI. Finally, utilizing ecological momentary assessment to investigate short-term predictors of NSSI thoughts and behaviors among emerging adults in daily life, demonstrates that NSSI thoughts occur in situations with high momentary levels of negative affect and low levels of positive affect. Risk of NSSI behavior is elevated in situations characterized by high distress and low perceived ability to resist NSSI. The presentation shows that NSSI is relatively prevalent in emerging adulthood and advocates for increased emphasis on prevention and novel treatment modalities to intervene effectively to address NSSI among emerging adults.
Non-Suicidal Self-Injury in Older Adults Presenter: Lisa Van Hove Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium In most countries, adults aged 60 and over show the highest rates of suicide mortality, underlining the urgent need for preventive measures. Addressing the most significant predictors of suicide can serve as a crucial strategy for prevention. Prior literature identified NSSI as one such predictor. However, research on NSSI among older adults remains scarce. In this symposium presentation, the findings of the speaker’s recent systematic review on NSSI in older adults will be discussed. Additionally, the speaker currently has a study on NSSI in older adults running. Recruitment will be finished by the end of April. Findings on NSSI prevalence, characteristics and associated factors of approximately 700 participants will be presented in comparison to younger age groups.
