An exploration of adolescent nonsuicidal self-injury and religious coping.

Many adolescents who engage in nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) self-identify as religious, but the role of religion in their NSSI is not known. This exploratory study examined the relationship between religious coping and religiousness among adolescents who self-injure and the function of their NSSI. Thirty adolescents aged 12-19 years who had engaged in NSSI participated in an interview and completed questionnaires. Multiple regressions were used to examine the relationship between religious coping and NSSI, and Pearson correlations were used to assess the relationship between religiousness and function of NSSI. Greater use of positive religious coping was associated with lower likelihood of engaging in NSSI to rid oneself of unwanted emotions, whereas greater use of negative religious coping was associated with greater likelihood of engaging in NSSI for this reason as well as to avoid punishment or unwanted responsibility. Higher religiousness was associated with greater use of NSSI to communicate with or gain attention from others, whereas lower religiousness was associated with greater use of NSSI to relieve unwanted emotions. Having a greater understanding of how religious constructs are related to the various functions served by NSSI may inform treatment of this population, particularly among religious youth who self-injure.

Nonsuicidal self-injury in an adolescent population in Singapore.

This mixed methods study examined the phenomenon of nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) of adolescents in Singapore. The researchers analyzed quantitative data to understand the functions of NSSI, the relationship of parental invalidation to NSSI, and the association between academic stress and parental invalidation. In addition, the researchers employed semi-structured qualitative interviews to provide supportive qualitative data. The participants were outpatients at the Child Guidance Clinic, Singapore, between the ages of 13 to 19 years old. Researchers compared 30 participants who engage in NSSI with 30 participants who do not engage in NSSI. The emotional regulation function was the most commonly endorsed function for NSSI. Adolescents who engage in NSSI have statistically significant (p < .01) higher mean parental invalidation scores than those who do not engage in NSSI. There is also a moderate, positive correlation between the level of parental invalidation and the level of academic stress for Singaporean adolescents. The researchers discuss the implications of this study for mental health professionals.

Treatment impact of an integrated sex offender program as measured by J-SOAP-II.

Despite the increase in juvenile sex offending in society and the significant growth in the number of treatment programs, relatively few studies have examined the effectiveness of these programs. This study examined the effectiveness of an integrated sex offender program on a sample of 309 adjudicated male sex offenders in a juvenile correctional facility using the dynamic scale score of the Juvenile Sex Offender Assessment Protocol II (J-SOAP-II). The youth participated in one of the three treatment groups characterized by length of treatment and risk of recidivism: low risk (0 to 9 months), moderate risk (9 to 23 months), and high risk (23 to 56 months). A significant decrease in the dynamic scale scores of the J-SOAP-II was found only for the moderate treatment group (9 to 23 months).

The role of forgiveness in adolescents who engage in nonsuicidal self-injury.

The present study is an exploratory investigation assessing the role of forgiveness of self and forgiveness of others in adolescent nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). Participants included a diverse sample of self-injuring adolescents (N = 30). Results indicated that lack of self-forgiveness was associated with engaging in NSSI for specific reasons related to the regulation of emotions and social functioning, namely to get rid of unwanted emotions, to feel something due to feeling numb or empty, and to communicate with others. Lack of self-forgiveness was also associated with greater lifetime frequency of NSSI. No relationship was found between forgiveness of others and NSSI. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to Dialectical Behavior Therapy for NSSI, traditional forgiveness interventions, and treatment of youth who engage in NSSI.

Examining mental health symptoms in male and female incarcerated juveniles.

Varying risk factors for both incarceration and mental health diagnoses have been identified for female juveniles, highlighting the need for gender-specific assessments and treatment protocols. The purpose of this study is to determine how the prevalence rates of mental health symptoms differ in male and female juvenile offenders. It was hypothesized that the prevalence rates would be greater for females than males. This study found significant differences between males and females on several clinical scales. These findings are consistent with past studies that have identified differences in mental health symptoms between genders.