Characteristics of time perception in adolescents with non-suicidal self-injury and psychiatric disorders comorbidity

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a prevalent behavior that is associated with various mental disorders characterized by self-injury without suicidal intent. However, both the neurobiological bases and indicators of suicidal risk remain elusive, impeding the intervention of this disorder. NSSI is regulated by the reward system, which also regulates time perception. This study aimed to investigate time perception characteristics in NSSI patients and to evaluate their potential for identifying suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs).

A cohort study was conducted, which involved 93 NSSI and psychiatric disorders comorbidity (NPC) patients and 84 healthy controls. Participants completed psychological scales and temporal reproduction tasks to determine the characteristics of time perception in adolescents with NPC. Follow-up assessments were conducted 3 months later to evaluate the emergence of STBs. Logistic regression and nomograms were utilized to explore the predictive value of time perception characteristics on STBs.

Adolescents with NPC demonstrated significant characteristics in time perception, with a lower reproduction ratio (DRR) and higher coefficient of variation (CV). Notably, lower CV at baseline was associated with a higher probability of STBs during follow-up. The study revealed that time perception effectively predicts the risk of subsequent STBs in NPC patients.

This study identifies characteristics of time perception in adolescent NPC patients, which may serve as a novel behavioral indicator for the early identification of risk for suicide. The findings contribute to a better understanding of the neurobiological bases of NSSI and highlight the potential of time perception tasks in the early identification of adverse outcomes, offering novel insights for intervention strategies.