Association Between Non-Suicidal Self-Injury and Gut Microbial Characteristics in Chinese Adolescent

Area of Science:

• Microbiome research
• Adolescent mental health
• Gut-brain axis

Background:

• Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and depression are significant concerns in adolescence.
• The gut microbiota's role in mental health is increasingly recognized.
• Understanding distinct microbial profiles can inform targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate gut microbiota differences in adolescents with NSSI, depression (without NSSI), and healthy controls.
• To establish a theoretical basis for regulating intestinal microecology for NSSI prevention and control.
• To explore the relationship between gut microbiota and NSSI, differentiating it from depression.

Main Methods:

• Recruited 99 subjects: 51 with NSSI (KD), 24 with depression (NOR2), and 24 healthy controls (NOR1).
• Collected clinical data and fecal samples.
• Analyzed gut microbiota composition using 16S rDNA gene sequencing and assessed NSSI and depression severity.

Main Results:

• Significantly reduced gut microbiota diversity (Shannon and Simpson indices) in adolescents with NSSI compared to healthy controls.
• Altered relative abundances of gut microbial taxa at various taxonomic levels (class, order, family, genus, species).
• Identified distinct dominant flora: Bacteroides in NSSI and depression groups, Mitsuokella differentiating the NSSI group.

Conclusions:

• Gut microbiota diversity is decreased in adolescents with NSSI.
• Altered gut microbiota composition is associated with NSSI, suggesting it is not homologous to depression.
• Findings support exploring gut microbiota mechanisms for NSSI prognosis and relapse prevention.