Self-injury in adolescence from the bioecological perspective of human development

Abstract

This exploratory qualitative study analyzed the characteristics of the self-injury behavior and the support network of four adolescents, between 13 and 17 years sold, attended by a Center for Psychosocial Attention. Data were collected from the care center records, a semi-structured interview and the application of the Map of the Five Fields. From a bioecological perspective, distal risk factors were identified: family mental illness, history of intrafamily violence, and invalidating family environment; intrapersonal risk factors: feelings of guilt, shame, hopelessness, and emptiness; interpersonal vulnerability factors: social isolation and difficulty of emotional expression; and stressful factors: victimization by peers, conflicts with the family, gender transition, and death of family members. The protection factors identified were school, health service, and extended family contexts, in addition to the internet and friendships. Future studies can analyze the mediating and moderating role of protective factors in self-injury, subsidizing preventive actions.