The development of Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI) during adolescence: A systematic review and Bayesian meta-analysis

The impact of negative cognitive bias on NSSI: mediating non-adaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies

BACKGROUND

Individuals may be more likely to engage in NSSI due to negative cognitive bias, while the use of negative emotional regulation mechanisms may further contribute to NSSI. Currently, there is a dearth of studies regarding the correlation among the three variables.

METHOD

The study employed convenience sampling to collect data via online platforms from a total of 572 college students in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China, over the period of January 2024 to February 2024. The questionnaires comprise the Non-Adaptive Cognitive Emotion Srategy Regulation Subscale, the Negative Cognitive Processing Bias Questionnaire, and the NSSI Questionnaire.

OUTCOME

Negative cognitive bias significantly and directly influences NSSI, as indicated by a beta coefficient of 0.3788 and a confidence interval of [0.2878, 0.4698]. The existence of negative cognitive bias significantly enhances the impact of non-adaptive cognitive emotion control approaches (β = 0.5613, CI [0.4808, 0.6418]). Non-adaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies showed a significant effect on NSSI, as indicated by a beta coefficient of 0.2033 and a confidence interval of [0.0942, 0.3125]. The non-adaptive cognitive emotion control strategy serves as an intermediary between negative cognitive bias and NSSI, explaining 30.12% of the overall impact.

IN CONCLUSION

The results demonstrate that non-adaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies play a partially moderating role in the relationship between negative cognitive bias and NSSI among nursing students. We emphasize the importance of non-adaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies, negative cognitive biases, and NSSI among nursing students. In order to reduce the occurrence of NSSI, it is important for schools, families, and teachers to work together closely and implement a well-organized and efficient intervention to protect the mental well-being of nursing students.

"Swipe & slice": decoding digital struggles with non-suicidal self-injuries among youngsters

Introduction

Nonsuicidal-self-injury (NSSI)-related content recently emerged on social networking sites (SNS), despite its relationship with NSSI conducts is still unclear.

Methods

Hence, the current population-based cross-sectional study investigated the interplay between SNS use, NSSI content engagement, risky social media challenges (RSMCs), in a sample of 404 young adults (aged 18-24), focusing on the influence of problematic social media use (PSMU) and fear of missing out (FoMO).

Results

Around 51.5% of the samplewas engaged inNSSI-related contents on SNS, being mostly females (p<0.001), younger (p=0.005), transgender people and nonbinary people (p=0.030) and those who displayed higher PSMU (p<0.001) or FoMO (p=0.031). Around 66.2% of the sample currently practice NSSIs, predominantly among females (p<0.001), those using BeReal (p=0.012), actively looking for NSSIrelated contents on SNS (p<0.001) to be part of a group (p=0.0025) or learn how to practice NSSI (p=0.025). PSMU (p<0.001) and FoMO (p<0.001) emerged as significant predictors of NSSI content engagement, particularly among active seekers. NSSI conducts were significantly predicted by FoMO (p<0.001) and Snapchat (p=0.044), while negatively predicted by male sex (p<0.001), higher educational level (p=0.019) and age at which NSSI-related contents were firstly looked for (p=0.028).

Discussion

These findings underline the need to implement preventivepolicies and targeted interventions to monitor NSSI-related contents on SNS, the impact of PSMU and FoMO on NSSI, particularly among youngsters.

Understanding Comorbidity Between Non-Suicidal Self-Injury and Depressive Symptoms in a Clinical Sample of Adolescents: A Network Analysis

Background

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and depression often co-occur among adolescents with more severe clinical symptoms. This study examined the network structures of NSSI and depressive symptoms in adolescents.

Methods

Participants were recruited in the psychiatric outpatient clinics of three tertiary hospitals between April 10 and July 10, 2023. All participants been already found with self-injury behaviors in outpatient when enrolled. NSSI diagnostic criteria and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) were utilized to collect NSSI and depressive symptoms separately. We performed a network analysis to visualize the correlation between each symptom and to identify core and bridging symptoms in comorbidities.

Results

A total of 248 patients were enrolled in the study, with a mean age of 15.48 (SD = 1.62). Based on the PHQ-9 scores and grades, our results showed that the incidence of depression in adolescents with non-suicidal self-injury behavior was relatively high (N=235, 94.76%), with the majority having severe depression. The network analysis revealed that nodes D-6 "feeling bad, failing or letting yourself or your family down", D-1 "little interest or pleasure" and D-4 "feeling tired" were the most vital and most central symptoms. The most crucial bridging symptom is the node NSSI-8 "frequent thinking about self-injury", which connects the NSSI to the depression comorbid network.

Conclusion

This study offers a significant symptom-level conceptualization of the association between NSSI and depressive symptoms in a clinical sample of adolescents, which not only enhances our understanding of the comorbid but also identifies potential treatment targets to prevent and treat comorbidity between adolescent NSSI and depression.

Brain-gut axis mechanism of subthreshold nonsuicidal self-injury addictive features in adolescents

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is associated with an increased risk of suicide. As the diagnostic criteria outlined in DSM-5 and other related clinical studies, a patient must have engaged in self-injurious behavior at least 5 times within the past year. However, patients with fewer than 5 self-injury behaviors should not be ignored. Our study included 46 adolescents aged 10-19 years with subthreshold NSSI (sNSSI), along with a control group of 50 healthy adolescents matched for age and other factors. We collected resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data and stool samples. The Ottawa Self-Injury Inventory and Deliberate Self-Harm Inventory were used to evaluate self-harm behaviors and addictive features. Local brain activity was assessed using fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFF), and brain regions with abnormal fALFF were selected as seeds for whole-brain functional connectivity analysis. Stool samples were identified using 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing, and the LDA Effect Size method was used to explore significant differences between grouped samples. Mediation analysis was performed to investigate the brain-gut axis mechanisms of addictive features in sNSSI. We found that compared with healthy controls, sNSSI patients have abnormal fALFF in left thalamus and posterior cingulate cortex, dysconnectivities of left thalamus, and decreased Prevotellaceae. Our results suggested that addictive features of sNSSI may have a brain-gut mechanism. Furtherly, patients with 1-4 NSSI behaviors in the past year should have separate name for identification, such as "subthreshold NSSI".