Background The prevalence of nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a major concern in public health. Two main factors (individual and environmental) cause NSSI. Studies addressing NSSI often consider it as an emotion regulation strategy. Studying NSSI within the framework of attachment theory is reasonable since the capacities to regulate emotion come into existence in the framework of attachment in the first periods of a child’s growth. Primary studies addressing this topic are not frequent, and no systematic review has been conducted. Objective This systematic review and meta-analysis protocol aims to investigate the relationship between NSSI and attachment style and finding its relationship based on study design, study type, different types of attachments, and gender. Methods All studies on the relationship between NSSI and attachment will be included in this systematic review. We will include observational studies (cross-sectional, cohort, and case control) through searches in electronic databases via PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, Web of Science, ProQuest, Scopus, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar as complementary search. Qualitative studies, case studies, case series, and letters to the editor will be excluded. There will be no language limitation. Moreover, there will be no limitations regarding the study participants’ age, gender, nationality, sexual orientation, and psychological problems. Funnel plots were examined if 10 or more studies are included, and the Begg and Egger statistical tests were used to assess the risk of bias. All similar data will be combined through the “metan” command by Stata statistical package (StataCorp). A fixed-effects or random-effects model, considering methodological similarities or differences, will be selected to determine a combination model. Results We will summarize the selection of the eligible studies using a flowchart. The results will be presented in a table of evidence. The results of the meta-analysis will be depicted using diagrams and tables. Conclusions It seems necessary to carry out such systematic and comprehensive meta-analysis to present a summary of the published articles in terms of the relationship between NSSI and attachment. The results from this review will be used to improve our knowledge of the role of the upbringing of children and NSSI behavior and will help design appropriate interventions to address NSSI. Trial Registration PROSPERO CRD42021226455; https://tinyurl.com/yc77wny8 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) PRR1-10.2196/40808
BACKGROUND Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a major concern in the public health arena concerning its prevalence. Factors causing self-injury can be divided into two main categories, namely individual and environmental. Studies addressing self-injury often consider it as an excitement regulation strategy. Studying self-injury within the framework of attachment theory is reasonable since capacities to regulate excitement come into existence in the framework of attachment in the first periods of a child’s growth. Primary studies addressing this topic are not frequent, and no systematic review has been done. OBJECTIVE We present the systematic review and meta-analysis protocol to explore the relationship between NSSI and attachment. METHODS All studies carried out since 1990 on the relationship between NSSI and attachment will be included in this systematic review. We will include observational studies (cross-sectional, cohort, and case-control). Qualitative studies, case studies, case series, and letters to the editor will be excluded. There will be no language limitation. Moreover, there will be no limitations regarding the study participants’ age, gender, nationality, sexual orientation, and psychological problems. RESULTS We will summarize the selection of the eligible studies by a flowchart. The results will be presented in a table of evidence. The results of the meta-analysis will be depicted using diagrams and tables. CONCLUSIONS : It seems necessary to carry out such a systematic and comprehensive meta-analysis to present a summary of the published articles in terms of the relationship between NSSI and attachment. The results from this review will be used to improve our knowledge of the role of the upbringing of children and self-injury behavior and will help design appropriate interventions to address NSSI. CLINICALTRIAL https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=226455
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.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.