Attitudes toward and experiences of clinical and non-clinical services among individuals who self-harm or attempt suicide: a systematic review.

The prevalence of self-harm has increased substantially in recent decades. Despite the development of guidelines for better management and prevention of self-harm, service users report that quality of care remains variable. A previous systematic review of research published to June 2006 documented largely negative experiences of clinical services among patients who self-harm. This systematic review summarized the literature published since then to July 2022 to examine contemporary attitudes toward and experience of clinical and non-clinical services among individuals who self-harm and their relatives. We systematically searched for literature using seven databases. Quality of studies was assessed using the Mixed-Methods Appraisal Tool and findings were summarized using a narrative synthesis. We identified 29 studies that met our inclusion criteria, all of which were from high- or middle-income countries and were generally of high methodological quality. Our narrative synthesis identified negative attitudes toward clinical management and organizational barriers across services. Generally, more positive attitudes were found toward non-clinical services providing therapeutic contact, such as voluntary sector organizations and social services, than clinical services, such as emergency departments and inpatient units. Views suggested that negative experiences of service provision may perpetuate a cycle of self-harm. Our review suggests that in recent years there has been little improvement in attitudes toward and experiences of services for patients who self-harm. These findings should be used to reform clinical guidelines and staff training across clinical services to promote patient-centered and compassionate care and deliver more effective, acceptable and accessible services.

Microstructural abnormalities of white matter in the cingulum bundle of adolescents with major depression and non-suicidal self-injury.

BACKGROUND: Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is prevalent in major depressive disorder (MDD) during adolescence, but the underlying neural mechanisms are unclear. This study aimed to investigate microstructural abnormalities in the cingulum bundle associated with NSSI and its clinical characteristics. METHODS: 130 individuals completed the study, including 35 healthy controls, 47 MDD patients with NSSI, and 48 MDD patients without NSSI. We used tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) with a region of interest (ROI) analysis to compare the fractional anisotropy (FA) of the cingulum bundle across the three groups. receiver-operating characteristics (ROC) analysis was employed to evaluate the ability of the difficulties with emotion regulation (DERS) score and mean FA of the cingulum to differentiate between the groups. RESULTS: MDD patients with NSSI showed reduced cingulum integrity in the left dorsal cingulum compared to MDD patients without NSSI and healthy controls. The severity of NSSI was negatively associated with cingulum integrity (r = -0.344, p = 0.005). Combining cingulum integrity and DERS scores allowed for successful differentiation between MDD patients with and without NSSI, achieving a sensitivity of 70% and specificity of 83%. CONCLUSIONS: Our study highlights the role of the cingulum bundle in the development of NSSI in adolescents with MDD. The findings support a frontolimbic theory of emotion regulation and suggest that cingulum integrity and DERS scores may serve as potential early diagnostic tools for identifying MDD patients with NSSI.

Non-suicidal self-injury among individuals with an eating disorder: A systematic review and prevalence meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to quantify the prevalence of non-suicidal self-injury across eating disorders (EDs) and within diagnostic categories through systematic review and proportional, or so-called prevalence, meta-analysis. METHOD: Included studies had to contain individuals with a verified diagnosis of an ED. The last literature search was conducted on September 11, 2023, for studies published on or before September 2023 without a restriction on earliest publication year. Results were synthesized and analyzed using the "metaprop" package in R and presented using forest plots. Bias was assessed by a Peters' regression test and funnel plot. RESULTS: 79 studies published between 1985 and 2023 were included encompassing 32,334 individuals with an ED. Importantly, 42 studies were not included in any other meta-analyses on self-injury in EDs to date. Overall prevalence of non-suicidal self-injury was 34.59% (95%CI = 30.49-38.81). Prevalence in anorexia nervosa restrictive type, binge/purge type, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder and other specified feeding/eating disorder were 23.19% (95%CI = 16.96-30.03%), 41.98% (95%CI = 32.35-51.91%), 36.97% (95%CI = 30.69-43.46%), 21.21% (95%CI = 14.93-28.12%) and 37.65% (95%CI = 28.59-47.09%), respectively. Prevalence estimations could not be estimated for other ED categories due to lack of a sufficient number of studies. DISCUSSION: Non-suicidal self-injury is prevalent across both binge/purge and restrictive EDs. Considering the transdiagnostic nature of self-injurious behaviors in ED, the results highlight the importance of assessment and monitoring of self-injury in people with ED, irrespective of specific diagnoses. The method of determining self-injury varied across studies and may limit this study. PUBLIC SIGNIFICANCE: This study highlights the prevalence of self-injury across eating disorders irrespective of diagnosis and within specific EDs. While diagnoses known to exhibit self-injurious behaviors (e.g., bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa binge/purge subtype) demonstrated the highest prevalence of self-injury, all diagnoses were found to have a prevalence greater than 20%. These findings suggest the importance of assessing and monitoring all individuals with an eating disorder for the presence of self-injury.

OBJETIVO: Este estudio tuvo como objetivo cuantificar la prevalencia de la autolesión no suicida en los trastornos de la conducta alimentaria (TCA) y dentro de las categorías diagnósticas mediante una revisión sistemática y un metaanálisis proporcional, también llamado metaanálisis de prevalencia. MÉTODO: Los estudios incluidos debían contener individuos con un diagnóstico verificado de un TCA. La última búsqueda bibliográfica se realizó el 11 de septiembre de 2023, para estudios publicados en o antes de septiembre de 2023 sin restricción en el año de publicación más temprano. Los resultados fueron sintetizados y analizados utilizando el paquete "metaprop" en R y presentados mediante gráficos de bosque. El sesgo se evaluó mediante una prueba de regresión de Peters y un gráfico de embudo. RESULTADOS: Se incluyeron 79 estudios publicados entre 1985 y 2023 que abarcaron a 32,334 individuos que padecían un TCA. Es importante destacar que 42 estudios no se incluyeron en ningún otro metaanálisis sobre autolesión en TCA hasta la fecha. La prevalencia general de la autolesión no suicida fue del 34.59% (IC del 95% = 30.49-38.81). La prevalencia en la anorexia nerviosa subtipo restrictivo, subtipo atracones/purga, bulimia nerviosa, trastorno de atracones y otros trastornos especificados de la conducta alimentaria y de la alimentación fue del 23.19% (IC del 95% = 16.96-30.03%), 41.98% (IC del 95% = 32.35-51.91%), 36.97% (IC del 95% = 30.69-43.46%), 21.21% (IC del 95% = 14.93-28.12%) y 37.65% (IC del 95% = 28.59-47.09%), respectivamente. No se pudieron estimar las estimaciones de prevalencia para otras categorías de TCA debido a la falta de un número suficiente de estudios. DISCUSIÓN: La autolesión no suicida es prevalente tanto en los TCA subtipo de atracón/purgación como en los restrictivos. Dada la naturaleza transdiagnóstica de los comportamientos autolesivos en los TCA, los resultados resaltan la importancia de la evaluación y el monitoreo de la autolesión en personas que padecen TCA, independientemente de los diagnósticos específicos. El método para determinar la autolesión varió entre los estudios y puede limitar este estudio.

Neural mechanism of non-adaptive cognitive emotion regulation in patients with non-suicidal self-injury.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) has been on the rise in recent years. Studies have shown that people with NSSI have difficulties in emotion regulation and cognitive control. In addition, some studies have investigated the cognitive emotion regulation of people with NSSI which found that they have difficulties in cognitive emotion regulation, but there was a lack of research on cognitive emotion regulation strategies and related neural mechanisms. METHODS: This study included 117 people with NSSI (age = 19.47 ± 5.13, male = 17) and 84 non-NSSI participants (age = 19.86 ± 4.14, male = 16). People with NSSI met the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria, and non-NSSI participants had no mental or physical disorders. The study collected all participants' data of Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to explore the differences in psychological performance and brain between two groups. Afterwards, Machine learning was used to select the found differential brain regions to obtain the highest correlation regions with NSSI. Then, Allen's Human Brain Atlas database was used to compare with the information on the abnormal brain regions of people with NSSI to find the genetic information related to NSSI. In addition, gene enrichment analysis was carried out to find the related pathways and specific cells that may have differences. RESULTS: The differences between NSSI participants and non-NSSI participants were as follows: positive refocusing (t = -4.74, p < 0.01); refocusing on plans (t = -4.11, p < 0.01); positive reappraisal (t = -9.22, p < 0.01); self-blame (t = 6.30, p < 0.01); rumination (t = 3.64, p < 0.01); catastrophizing (t = 9.10, p < 0.01), and blaming others (t = 2.52, p < 0.01), the precentral gyrus (t = 6.04, pFDR < 0.05) and the rolandic operculum (t = -4.57, pFDR < 0.05). Rolandic operculum activity was negatively correlated with blaming others (r = -0.20, p < 0.05). Epigenetic results showed that excitatory neurons (p < 0.01) and inhibitory neurons (p < 0.01) were significant differences in two pathways, "trans-synaptic signaling" (p < -log108) and "modulation of chemical synaptic transmission" (p < -log108) in both cells. CONCLUSIONS: People with NSSI are more inclined to adopt non-adaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies. Rolandic operculum is also abnormally active. Abnormal changes in the rolandic operculum of them are associated with non-adaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies. Changes in the excitatory and inhibitory neurons provide hints to explore the abnormalities of the neurological mechanisms at the cellular level of them. Trial registration number NCT04094623.

The mediating effect of bullying on parental-peer support matching and NSSI behaviour among adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Being subjected to bullying is a significant risk factor for non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) among adolescents. Parental support, peer support, and social connectedness play protective roles in mitigating NSSI in this population. However, the precise impact of the combined effects of parental and peer support on bullying and NSSI requires further investigation. METHODS: This study employed the Child and Adolescent Social Support Scale, Delaware Bullying Victimisation Scale, Social Connectedness Scale, and the Ottawa Self-Injury Inventory to survey 1277 Chinese adolescents. Polynomial regression analysis and response surface analysis were applied to examine the mediating role of bullying and social connectedness in the relationship between parental and peer support matching and NSSI. RESULTS: The results indicate that parental support (r = 0.287, P < 0.001), peer support (r = 0.288, P < 0.001), and social connectedness (r = 0.401, P < 0.001) were protective factors against NSSI in adolescents. Conversely, bullying (r = 0.425, P < 0.001) acts as a risk factor for NSSI in this population. Adolescents with low parental and peer support experienced more bullying than those with high parental and peer support, while those with low parental but high peer support experienced less bullying than those with high parental but low peer support (R^2 = 0.1371, P < 0.001). Social connectedness moderated the effect between bullying and NSSI in this model (ß = 0.006, P < 0.001). LIMITATIONS: Due to the under-representation of participants and lack of longitudinal data support, the explanatory power of causality between variables was limited. Future studies should include national samples and incorporate longitudinal studies to enhance the generalisability and robustness of the findings. CONCLUSION: This study reveals the influence mechanism of parental and peer support matching experienced by adolescents on bullying and NSSI and the moderating role of social connectedness. These findings enrich the developmental theory of adolescent NSSI and provide reference for the prevention and intervention of adolescent NSSI behaviour.

Associations between multiple sleep dimensions and suicide and non-suicidal self-injury: a cross-sectional study of 3828 Chinese young people.

PURPOSE: Suicide and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) are preventable concerns in young people. Suicidal ideation (SI), suicidal plans (SP) and suicidal attempt (SA) are closely related to death. Sleep problems are known risk factors for suicide and NSSI. This study aimed to explore the relationship between sleep, suicidality and NSSI. METHODS: Participants were 3,828 middle school and college students aged 11-23 years from urban and rural areas of Henan Province. Sleep, suicidal phenomena and NSSI were assessed by applying self-reported questionnaires. Chi-squared tests were utilized to demonstrate the demographic data and sleep variables. The correlation between sleep, suicidality and NSSI were explored by using binary logistic regression, while adjusting socio-demographic characteristics with multivariate models. RESULTS: Sleep variables except mid-sleep time were related to suicidal phenomena (P < 0.05). Greater social jet lag (SJL) [≥ 2 h (h)] was associated with increased risk of SI [Odds ratios (OR) = 1.72, 95% confidence intervals (CI):1.40-2.11], SP (OR = 2.10, 95%CI:1.59-2.79) and SA (OR = 1.50, 95%CI:1.00-2.26). Non-only child participants with SJL (≥ 2 h) had significantly increased odds of SI (OR = 1.75, 95%CI: 1.41-2.18) and SP (OR = 2.25, 95%CI: 1.66-3.05). Eveningness chronotype had the strongest correlation with SI (OR = 3.87, 95%CI:2.78-5.38), SP (OR = 4.72, 95%CI:2.97-7.50), SA (OR = 6.69, 95%CI:3.08-14.52) and NSSI (OR = 1.39, 95%CI:1.02-1.90). CONCLUSION: Overlong or short sleep duration, SJL, eveningness chronotype and other sleep abnormalities (e.g., daytime dysfunction, low sleep efficiency) were associated with a higher prevalence of SI, SP and SA. Additionally, eveningness was significantly correlated with NSSI among young people. These findings suggested the importance of assessing and intervening in sleep habits to prevent suicide and NSSI in young people.

Risk-taking and self-harm behaviors as markers of adolescent borderline personality disorder.

Adolescence is a critical period for early identification and intervention of borderline personality disorder (BPD). Risk-taking and self-harm behaviors (RSB) have been identified as promising early markers of BPD and correlates of depression in school-based samples. The present study aimed, first, to examine the association between RSB and BPD in a clinical sample of adolescents and, second, to examine whether RSB are also linked to depression. N = 405 participants (82.7% female) were recruited from an outpatient clinic for adolescents with RSB. RSB assessed included truancy, excessive media use, alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drug use, sexual risk-taking, and self-harm behavior. Regression analyses and generalized linear models were performed to examine the associations between individual RSB or patterns of RSB (identified using latent class analysis, LCA) and a diagnosis and severity of BPD or depression. All RSB (except excessive media use) were positively associated with BPD diagnosis and severity. In contrast, only non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicide attempts were positively associated with depression diagnosis and severity, while illicit drug use was negatively associated with depression severity. The LCA yielded two classes differing in the occurrence of RSB. The high RSB class was more likely to have a BPD diagnosis and greater BPD severity than the low RSB class. Classes did not differ regarding depression diagnosis or severity. As NSSI and suicide attempts were associated with both BPD and depression, the presence of additional RSB, besides self-harm behavior, may represent a specific risk marker for BPD in adolescents.

The association of childhood trauma with suicidality in adult psychiatric patients: The mediating role of NSSI and the moderating role of self-esteem.

BACKGROUND: The contribution of specific childhood trauma subtypes to suicidal thoughts and the associated mechanisms remains unclear, particularly in psychiatric patients. METHODS: Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 449 psychiatric patients aged 18-73. Childhood trauma, self-esteem, nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI), and suicidality were assessed retrospectively. Regression and moderated mediation model were employed to examine these relationships. RESULTS: Emotional and sexual abuse were independently associated with suicidality. Female patients reported higher levels of emotional and sexual abuse, lower self-esteem, and a heightened risk of suicide. Self-esteem moderated the links between childhood trauma and NSSI, as well as between NSSI and suicidality. NSSI served as a mediator between childhood trauma and suicidality. CONCLUSIONS: Suicide prevention in mentally ill patients should involve targeted programs addressing specific childhood trauma. Additionally, psychological interventions to enhance self-esteem and assist individuals engaging in NSSI behavior are crucial.

Negative self-perceptions and severity of NSSI: Testing the benefits and barriers model.

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is theorized to be caused by negative associations with the self, including low self-esteem, but the mechanisms explaining why low self-esteem is related to more severe NSSI are unclear. The current study aimed to address this limitation by evaluating a mediation model, proposing that low self-esteem would relate to more severe NSSI through increasing self-punishment motivations. Data came from 468 undergraduate students with a history of NSSI who completed an online survey measuring NSSI characteristics and functions, self-esteem, and self-punishment motivations for NSSI. Mediation was tested using a structural equation model using bootstrapped 95% percentile-corrected confidence intervals in which NSSI severity was modeled as a latent variable composed of NSSI frequency, recency, and versatility of methods. The total model was significant and the indirect effect of self-esteem on NSSI severity through self-punishment motives was significant. Self-esteem also retained significant direct effects on NSSI severity, indicating partial mediation. These results provide support for the benefits and barriers model of NSSI, suggesting that negative self-views increase risk for more severe NSSI through self-punishment motivations. Clinical interventions that emphasize self-compassion and focus on modifying self-punishment motivations may help reduce NSSI behavior.

Social Support and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury in Adolescents: The Differential Influences of Family, Friends, and Teachers.

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is common among adolescents and is associated with a range of detrimental consequences. Family, teachers, and friends are essential sources of social support for adolescents. Increased social support from these sources may reduce NSSI behaviors among adolescents. However, it is uncertain if each source of social support retains its significance when their influences are evaluated simultaneously, and how each source influences the others to impact NSSI behaviors. To address this gap, this research investigated the direct and indirect effects of each source of social support on adolescent NSSI using cross-lagged panel model (CLPM), as well as whether these relationships varied by sex. A total of 3098 Chinese adolescents with a range of 10 to 15 years old (Mage = 13.27, SD = 0.73, 42.4% girls) completed assessments on three waves across approximately two years. The results indicated that teacher support compared to family and friend support showed the strongest association with NSSI behaviors and mediated the relationship between family support and NSSI. These findings highlight teacher support as a hub in the role of social support on NSSI and emphasize the importance of the connections between teacher and family support.

Hurting myself to cope: Using network analysis to understand the association between perceived stigma and non-suicidal self-injury functions among men who have sex with men in China.

Prior studies have demonstrated that perceived stigma is robustly associated with risky and life-threatening behaviors, including non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), among men who have sex with men (MSM). However, studies regarding the relationship between perceived stigma and NSSI are limited. The present study aimed to investigate the network structure of perceived stigma and NSSI functions, along with bridge nodes, to elucidate how they co-exist. A sample of 2610 Chinese MSM (mean age = 23.99, age range: 18-68 years) was recruited from an online survey platform. All participants completed a web-based survey with measures of perceived stigma and NSSI functions. Results indicated that 'negative attitudes towards homosexuality' and 'disappointment in gay son' were identified as the most central nodes in the perceived stigma network, whereas 'seeking attention' and 'influencing others to change' ranked highest on centrality in the NSSI network. Two bridge connections were exhibited within the combined perceived stigma and NSSI network model: 'unwelcoming in public' and 'avoiding unpleasant tasks' from perceived stigma and NSSI communities, respectively. This is among the first studies investigating the co-occurrence between perceived stigma and NSSI from the network approach. Our findings provide an empirically-based perspective on the importance of family- and community-based interventions, with potential clinical implications for reducing NSSI among sexual and gender minority groups.

Distress tolerance and lifetime frequency of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI): A systematic review and meta-analysis.

NSSI has recently been recognized as a significant health issue given its documented association with psychopathology and across a broad spectrum of psychiatric disorders. It has been found that individuals experiencing heightened emotions, which is referred to as an emotional cascade, are more likely to engage in self-injury behaviour due to low levels of distress tolerance (DT). The current meta-analysis using PRISMA guidelines sought to quantify the strength of the association between DT and lifetime frequency of NSSI using 22 eligible studies (N = 14,588; F = 60.7%; age = 23.35 ± 7.30), mainly from the United States. The correlation between emotional DT and NSSI was a small negative correlation (r = -.14), and it was non-significant for behavioural DT and NSSI (r = .02). Also, the effect-size was significant for studies that used interview-based measure of NSSI (r = -.24), and it was non-significant when self-report measures of NSSI (r = -.11) utilized. The association between DT and NSSI was significant and negative across the general population (r = -.47), university students (r = -.17), and inpatients (r = -.27); surprisingly, it was significant and positive among adolescents or high school students (r = .17). The observed effect-sizes were independent of publication year, mean age and its standard deviation, study quality, female proportion, DT, NSSI measures reliability, and clinical status. Future studies on NSSI should consider DT as a spectrum from distress intolerance to distress over-tolerance, given that it seems it has different functions when different samples (e.g., adolescents) are studied.

Factors associated with self-harm behaviors during military service in the Israel Defense Forces, rates of such behaviors and their outcomes.

The military environment involves stressful situations that may trigger or aggravate suicidal behaviors, such as suicide attempts (SAs), which significantly increase the likelihood of future suicide. This cross-sectional study aims to assess risk factors for severe SAs and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) among Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers. Data were retrieved from an IDF computerized self-harm surveillance database and were based on the criteria of the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) and the Suicide Attempt Self-Injury Interview (SASII). The cohort included all 1,238 occurrences of self-harm behavior, during 2017-2021. Other investigated variables included adjustment difficulty (AD, as per IDF definition) and psychiatric diagnosis (PD) as reported by mental health officers (MHOs) during recruitment. Higher rates of adjustment difficulties were found among soldiers who had conducted NSSIs. Higher rates of previous psychiatric diagnoses were found among individuals with SAs, and their risk of dying by suicide during military service was twice as high (OR = 2.356; p < .001). If the latter also served in a combat unit, the risk was almost fourfold (OR = .3.860; p < .001). The current study demonstrates a clear difference between IDF soldiers who conduct NSSI vs. those conducting SA with regard to adjustment difficulty (as per IDF definition) and PD.

Beyond the Surface: Teachers' Perceptions and Experiences in Cases of Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Among High School Students.

Non-suicidal self-injury (NNSI) among adolescents is a significant concern. This study aimed to explore teachers' perceptions and experiences in cases of NSSI among their students. This qualitative-phenomenological study used in-depth, semi-structured interviews conducted with 27 teachers from high-schools in Israel. Thematic analysis was used to identify patterns and themes. Theme 1 highlighted the emotional impact of discovering self-injury incidents, including panic, confusion, and helplessness. Theme 2 focused on teachers' limited professional support and their need for training and guidance. Theme 3 explored teachers' desire to help students and their strategies for building connections and providing empathy, sometimes despite emotional detachment. Theme 4 emphasized the importance of involving parents and the need for effective communication. This study emphasizes the importance of providing teachers comprehensive training to address NSSI effectively. These findings provide a better understanding of teachers' experiences and underscore the need for enhanced support systems.

Associations of bullying perpetration and peer victimization subtypes with preadolescent's suicidality, non-suicidal self-injury, neurocognition, and brain development.

BACKGROUND: Although both peer victimization and bullying perpetration negatively impact preadolescents' development, the underlying neurobiological mechanism of this adverse relationship remains unclear. Besides, the specific psycho-cognitive patterns of different bullying subtypes also need further exploration, warranting large-scale studies on both general bullying and specific bullying subtypes. METHODS: We adopted a retrospective methodology by utilizing the data from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive DevelopmentSM Study (ABCD Study®) cohort collected between July 2018 and January 2021. Participants were preadolescents aged from 10 to 13 years. The main purpose of our study is to examine the associations of general and specific peer victimization/bullying perpetration with preadolescents' (1) suicidality and non-suicidal self-injury; (2) executive function and memory, including attention inhibition, processing speed, emotion working memory, and episodic memory; (3) brain structure abnormalities; and (4) brain network disturbances. Age, sex, race/ethnicity, body mass index (BMI), socioeconomic status (SES), and data acquisition site were included as covariates. RESULTS: A total of 5819 participants aged from 10 to 13 years were included in this study. Higher risks of suicide ideation, suicide attempt, and non-suicidal self-injury were found to be associated with both bullying perpetration/peer victimization and their subtypes (i.e., overt, relational, and reputational). Meanwhile, poor episodic memory was shown to be associated with general victimization. As for perpetration, across all four tasks, significant positive associations of relational perpetration with executive function and episodic memory consistently manifested, yet opposite patterns were shown in overt perpetration. Notably, distinct psycho-cognitive patterns were shown among different subtypes. Additionally, victimization was associated with structural brain abnormalities in the bilateral paracentral and posterior cingulate cortex. Furthermore, victimization was associated with brain network disturbances between default mode network and dorsal attention network, between default mode network and fronto-parietal network, and ventral attention network related connectivities, including default mode network, dorsal attention network, cingulo-opercular network, cingulo-parietal network, and sensorimotor hand network. Perpetration was also associated with brain network disturbances between the attention network and the sensorimotor hand network. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings offered new evidence for the literature landscape by emphasizing the associations of bullying experiences with preadolescents' clinical characteristics and cognitive functions, while distinctive psycho-cognitive patterns were shown among different subtypes. Additionally, there is evidence that these associations are related to neurocognitive brain networks involved in attention control and episodic retrieval. Given our findings, future interventions targeting ameliorating the deleterious effect of bullying experiences on preadolescents should consider their subtypes and utilize an ecosystemic approach involving all responsible parties.

Molecular examination of the endogenous opioid system in rhesus macaque monkeys with self-injurious behavior.

Self-injurious behavior (SIB) can lead to serious injury and occurs in approximately 1%-4% of the adult population, with higher incidences in adolescent and institutionalized populations, as well as in children with developmental disorders such as Autism. SIB also spontaneously occurs in a low percentage of captive monkeys. Rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) monkeys are evolutionarily and physiologically similar to humans, share 93% genetic sequence similarity to humans, and have long been used as testing subjects for vaccine and clinical trials. Previous studies hypothesized that altered endogenous opioid expression occurs in the brains of individuals and animals that self-injure. We examined the regional mRNA expression of opioid signaling genes in sixteen rhesus macaques that exhibited SIB and eight sex- and age- matched controls. The brain regions examined are linked to reward reinforcement and stress adaptation including the hypothalamus, orbital frontal cortex, nucleus accumbens, hippocampus, caudate, and the amygdala. We found decreased µ-opioid receptor (OPRM1) in the amygdala of monkeys with SIB, and reduced prodynorphin (PDYN) in the hypothalamus. Our data suggest dysfunction in the regulation of opioid peptide precursors and calls for further investigation of the endogenous opioid system in SIB.

Cognitive impairment and factors influencing depression in adolescents with suicidal and self-injury behaviors: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicide attempts (SAs) by adolescent patients with depression have become serious public health problems. There is still insufficient research evidence on the effects of NSSI and SAs on neurocognitive functioning in adolescents. Cognitive function alterations may be associated with SAs and self-injury. NSSI and SAs have different influencing factors. METHODS: Participants were recruited from outpatient clinics and included 142 adolescent patients with depression (12-18 years old). This cohort included the SAs group (n = 52), NSSI group (n = 65), and depression without SAs/NSSI control group (n = 25). All participants underwent a clinical interview and neuropsychological assessment for group comparisons, and post-hoc tests were performed. Finally, partial correlation analysis was used to explore factors related to changes in cognitive function. RESULTS: The SAs group performed significantly worse than the control group in executive function and working memory. The depression score was directly proportional to the executive function of the SAs group, whereas cognitive functioning in the NSSI group was associated with borderline traits and rumination. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that impairment of executive function and working memory may be a common pattern in adolescent depressed patients with SAs. However, borderline traits and rumination may be indicative of NSSI but not SAs.

The relationship between childhood traumatic experience and suicidal tendency in non-suicidal self-injury behavior patients.

BACKGROUND: Individuals with non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) behavior are usually prone to repeated, intentional, direct harm to their own bodies that is not allowed by society without suicidal ideation. Under this behavior guidance, childhood traumatic experience may easily cause a series of psychological comorbidity symptoms, such as anxiety and depression, finally leading to a suicidal tendency. METHODS: A total of 311 adolescent NSSI behavioral patients were recruited at the Ningbo Kangning hospital, Zhejiang Province according to the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria. Demographic data, childhood abuse and neglect, internet addiction, self-esteem, anxiety, and suicidal tendency were evaluated. A structural equation model with a path induction mechanism was constructed to evaluate the relationship between distal and proximal factors related to suicidal tendencies due to childhood traumatic experiences in NSSI behavioral individuals. RESULTS: Among the 311 subjects included in the survey, 250 (80.39%) suffered traumatic experiences, such as emotional abuse/physical abuse/sexual abuse/emotional neglect or physical neglect in their childhood, 303 (97.43%) had suicidal ideation, 271 (87.14%) showed the total score of self-esteem, 148 (47.59%) had different degrees of Internet addiction tendency, and 286 (91.96%) showed obvious anxiety. The established path model fit well (GFI = 0.996, RMSEA = 0.03), and the model showed that self-esteem, anxiety, and childhood traumatic experience had standardized coefficients of -0.235 (z = -4.742, p < 0.01), 0.322 (z = 6.296, p < 0.01), 0.205 (z = 4.047, p < 0.01), respectively, with suicidal ideation path, suggesting that self-esteem, Internet addiction, and anxiety showed significant mediating effects in the process of childhood traumatic experience affecting suicidal ideation. CONCLUSION: In the context of childhood traumatic experience, it is often accompanied by a series of regulatory behaviors such as Internet addiction, self-esteem, and so on, which finally leads to anxiety, mental symptoms, and even suicidal tendencies. The results provide effective support for the structural equation modeling to evaluate the multi-level influence of NSSI behavior individuals and emphasize that childhood familial factors may lead to psychiatric comorbidity symptoms and suicidal behavior.

Adverse childhood experiences as a risk factor for non-suicidal self-injury and suicide attempts in forensic psychiatric patients.

BACKGROUND: Exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACE) have been found to have profound negative consequences on an individuals' health. Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a clinically complex and serious global health issue and is closely related to suicide attempts. Previous research has found associations between ACE and NSSI and suicide attempts in clinical samples. However, this association has to our knowledge not been studied to this extent in a sample of forensic psychiatric patients. The aim of this study was therefore to describe the prevalence of adverse childhood experiences (ACE) and their associations with non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and/or suicide attempts in forensic psychiatric patients. METHODS: The current study is a cross-sectional study of a consecutive cohort of 98 forensic psychiatric patients (86.7% male) in Sweden. We invited 184 patients with a predicted stay of > 8 weeks who had been cleared for participation by their treating psychiatrist. Of these, 83 declined and 98 eligible patients provided informed consent. Information on ACE, NSSI, and suicide attempts derived from files, self-reports (Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form; CTQ-SF), and interviews were compared separately among participants with and without NSSI or suicide attempts using t-tests. The dose-response association between ACE and NSSI/suicide attempts was analysed using binary logistic regression. RESULTS: In file reviews, 57.2% of participants reported physical abuse, 20% sexual abuse, and 43% repeated bullying by peers during childhood. NSSI and suicide attempts were associated significantly with CTQ-SF total scores, with medium effect sizes (d = .60 to .63, p < .01), and strongly with several CTQ-SF subscales. Parental substance abuse was also associated with NSSI (p = .006, OR = 3.23; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.36 to 7.66) and suicide attempts (p = .018, OR = 2.75; 95% CI = 1.18 to 6.42). Each additional ACE factor predicted an increased probability of NSSI (p = .016, OR = 1.29; CI = 1.04 to 1.59) but not of suicide attempts. When anxiety and depressive disorders were included in the model, ACE remained a significant predictor of NSSI. CONCLUSIONS: We report extensive ACE, from both files and self-reports. When comparing groups, correlations were found between ACE and NSSI, and ACE and suicide attempts among forensic psychiatric patients. ACE seem to predict NSSI but not suicide attempts in this group, even when controlling for affective and anxiety disorders. Early ACE among forensic psychiatric patients, especially physical and emotional abuse and parental substance abuse, have important impacts on self-harming behaviours that must be acknowledged both by the institutions that meet them as children and in their later assessment and treatment.

Childhood temperament as a predictor of adolescent nonsuicidal self-injury.

Previous cross-sectional work has consistently found associations between neuroticism and impulsivity and nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). However, there are few longitudinal studies of personality risk factors for NSSI. In this study, we examined associations between individual differences in temperament at age 3 and NSSI from ages 9 to 15. At age 3, 559 preschool-aged children (54% male; Mage = 42.2 months [SD = 3.10]) completed laboratory assessments of temperament. Parents also completed questionnaires about their child's temperament. Children completed a diagnostic interview assessing NSSI engagement at ages 9, 12, and 15. By the age 15 assessment, 12.4% of adolescents reported engaging in NSSI. In univariate models, we found that higher levels of observed sadness and maternal-reported sadness and anger were associated with increased risk for NSSI. In multivariate models, female sex and maternal-reported anger were significantly associated with greater likelihood of NSSI. Laboratory observed sadness and impulsivity were associated with a higher likelihood of NSSI. This work extends the literature on personality risk factors associated with NSSI by finding longitudinal associations between early childhood negative affect and later NSSI engagement during adolescence.