The longitudinal course of non-suicidal self-injury and deliberate self-harm: a systematic review of the literature

Abstract

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) has been proposed as diagnostic entity and was added to the section 3 of the DSM 5. Nevertheless, little is known about the long-term course of this disorder and many studies have pointed to the fact that NSSI seems to be volatile over time. We aimed to assemble studies providing longitudinal data about NSSI and furthermore included studies using the definition of deliberate self-harm (DSH) to broaden the epidemiological picture. Using a systematic search strategy, we were able to retrieve 32 studies reporting longitudinal data about NSSI and DSH. We furthermore aimed to describe predictors for the occurrence of NSSI and DSH that were identified in these longitudinal studies. Taken together, there is evidence for an increase in rates of NSSI and DSH in adolescence with a decline in young adulthood. With regards to predictors, rates of depressive symptoms and female gender were often reported as predictor for both NSSI and DSH.

Direct and indirect forms of childhood maltreatment and nonsuicidal self-injury among clinically-referred children and youth

“…NSSI typically emerges between the age of 12-15 years, and recent reviews suggest that as many as 18% of adolescent community-based samples engage in NSSI (Muehlenkamp et al, 2012;Plener et al, 2015;Swannell et al, 2014) and as many as 37% of clinical samples meet the DSM-5 criteria for NSSI-disorder In-Albon et al, 2013). Although exposure to direct forms of childhood maltreatment (i.e., physical abuse, sexual abuse) is among the most widely studied risk factors for NSSI, research on NSSI has largely overlooked the role of exposure to indirect forms of child maltreatment.…”

The mediating effect of depressive symptoms on the relationship between bullying victimization and non-suicidal self-injury among adolescents: Findings from community and inpatient mental health settings in Ontario, Canada

“…Another longitudinal study by Marshall et al (2013) found that depressive symptoms at Time 1 significantly predicted NSSI at Times 2 and 3. For a detailed review of the literature on the association between depressive symptoms and NSSI among adolescents, we refer the reader to Plener et al (2015).…”

Non-suicidal self-injury and suicide attempts in a New Zealand birth cohort

“…The lifetime prevalence of suicide attempts among adults and adolescents is approximately 1.9 to 8.7% and 3.1 to 8.8% respectively (Nock et al, 2008). Both NSSI and suicide attempts are associated with numerous negative life outcomes and have significant economic and social consequences (Goldman-Mellor et al, 2014; Plener, Schumacher, Munz, & Groschwitz, 2015; Shepard, Gurewich, Lwin, Reed, & Silverman, 2016). …”