Associations of coping styles with nonsuicidal self-injury in adolescents: Do they vary with gender and adverse childhood experiences?

Purpose: The objective of this study was to examine the influence of sexual identity and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) among rural high school students in less developed areas of China. Methods: Behavior risk factors data collected from 1810 students from a high school in Jiangxi province, China. Five measures of childhood abuse and household dysfunction were summarized, and ACE was divided into 0, 1, 2, 3–5 ACEs. Logistic regression analysis was used to explore the influence of sexual identity, adverse childhood experiences, and their interaction with non-suicidal self-injury. Results: Compared with heterosexual students, high school students who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) have a higher tendency of non-suicidal self-injury (AOR = 3.250, 95% CI = 1.69–6.28, p < 0.01). There was also a graded relationship between cumulative ACEs exposure and non-suicidal self-injury behaviors (AOR = 1.627, 95% CI = 1.02–2.60, p < 0.05). Odds for NSSI are higher among students with both experienced ACEs and identified as LGB (AOR = 2.821, 95% CI = 1.51–5.29, p < 0.05). Conclusions: Non-suicidal self-injury is associated with ACEs exposure and with those who identify as LGB, and the NSSI odds are greater when students identify as LGB and have experienced ACEs. More interventions to reduce non-suicidal self-injury should focus on LGB and ACEs and more attention needs to be paid to those who identify as LGB and have been exposed to ACEs.

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Adverse Childhood Experiences, Depression, Exposure to Suicide, Self-injury, Defeat, and Entrapment among Suicide Attempters and Non-suicidal People

international journal high risk behaviors & addiction ◽

10.5812/ijhrba.105622 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Ahmadreza Kiani ◽

Shokoufeh Ramezani ◽

Ebrahim Ghorbani ◽

Zahra Gorji ◽

Pezhman Honarmand

Keyword(s):

Adverse Childhood Experiences ◽

Childhood Experiences ◽

Suicide Attempters ◽

Mean Values ◽

Self Injury ◽

Ex Post ◽

Adverse Childhood ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Ex Post Facto ◽

Future Self

Background: Suicide is an important concern with regard to mental health and needs more attention in Iran. Objectives: This study aimed to compare depression, exposure to suicide, self-injury, defeat, and entrapment, and adverse childhood experiences in suicide attempters and normal people. Materials and Methods: The current research method was descriptive in the form of ex post facto research. The research community included two groups of (1) suicide attempters, and (2) normal students. Research measures included the Patient Health Questionnaire-2, exposure to suicidal behavior, non-suicidal self-injury, short defeat and entrapment scale, adverse childhood experiences questionnaire, and future self-injury. The data were analyzed using t-test. Results: The results showed a significant difference between groups on the mean values of depression (2.27 for the non-suicidal group vs. 3.87 for the suicidal group), adverse childhood experiences (5.82 vs. 0.95), exposure to the attempted suicide (0.28 vs. 0.50), self-injury behavior (0.36 vs. 2.13), and future self-injury likelihood (0.56 vs. 2.13). The most significant differences belonged to the defeat and entrapment variable and adverse childhood experiences (P < 0.01). Conclusions: Thus, defeat and depression play an important role in predicting suicide, so we should intervene in these two states of mind.

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