Non-Suicidal Self-Injury and Depressive Symptoms During Adolescence: Testing Directionality

Area of Science:

• Developmental Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Adolescent Mental Health

Background:

• Adolescence is a critical period for the onset of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and depression.
• Previous research on the temporal ordering of NSSI and depression has yielded equivocal findings.
• Limitations in prior studies include few data waves and failure to account for within-person variance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the temporal ordering of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and depressive symptoms during adolescence.
• To address limitations of past research by using multiple data waves and accounting for within-person variance.

Main Methods:

• Utilized two independent samples of Swedish adolescents (N=799 and N=2760).
• Employed two-part cross-lagged panel models (CLPMs) and random-intercept cross-lagged panel models (RI-CLPMs).
• RI-CLPMs were used to account for the semi-continuous distribution of NSSI and within-person variance.

Main Results:

• Traditional CLPMs demonstrated inadequate data fits.
• RI-CLPMs revealed significant within-person, transactional associations between depressive symptoms and NSSI.
• NSSI at age 13 predicted increased depressive symptoms at age 14, which in turn predicted increased NSSI at age 15, suggesting a cyclical pattern.

Conclusions:

• Findings indicate a bidirectional, transactional relationship between NSSI and depressive symptoms in adolescence.
• Early adolescent interventions targeting adaptive coping with emotional distress are essential.
• Interventions should focus on preventing the maintenance of comorbid distress throughout adolescence.