Coping is commonly associated with deliberate self-harm (DSH) in adolescents. This article reviews the published literature from 2000 to 2010, aiming to highlight the current evidence supporting this association. Eighteen studies met the inclusion criteria, a total sample of 24,702 subjects was obtained and 17% were DSH cases. Emotion-focused coping style and in particular avoidant coping strategies have consistently been associated with DSH in adolescents. Problem-focused coping style seems to have a negative relation. Most studies were cross-sectional, which seriously limits our conclusions on causality. There is a clear need for more systematic studies, performed in accordance with consensual methodology.
The results support previous data regarding a different pattern of coping strategies used by adolescents who harm themselves. The use of self-rating instruments and the cross-sectional nature of the study limit our results.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.