Examining the Methods Adolescents Use in Nonsuicidal Self-Injury: A Multi-Wave Latent Profile Analysis

Area of Science:

• Adolescent Health
• Mental Health Research
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a significant adolescent health concern.
• Understanding patterns in NSSI methods used by adolescents is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate patterns of NSSI methods among adolescents.
• To identify differences in NSSI profiles based on gender, internalizing symptoms, emotion dysregulation, stressors, and NSSI severity.

Main Methods:

• Utilized three waves of data from 630 Swedish adolescents (aged 12-18).
• Employed latent profile analysis to identify NSSI patterns.
• Conducted supplementary analyses on demographic and clinical predictors.

Main Results:

• Identified three consistent NSSI profiles: very low use, cutting/scraping skin, and multiple methods.
• Subgroups differed in gender distribution, internalizing/interpersonal issues, and NSSI severity.
• Observed significant changes in subgroup membership over time.

Conclusions:

• While most adolescents report low NSSI rates, a notable proportion use multiple methods with varying frequency and versatility.
• Focusing on frequently used NSSI methods may aid in identifying adolescents requiring intervention.
• Assessing the severity of each NSSI method could provide more accurate clinical insights than broad categorizations.