Maternal Autistic Traits and Mentalization in Adolescent Non-suicidal Self-Injury: A Case-Control Study
Hanım Hülya Alınay1, Sena Namlı1, Ali Karayağmurlu2
1Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Basaksehir Cam and Sakura City Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry
|May 21, 2026
Summary
Maternal deficits in mentalization and social skills are linked to adolescent self-harm. Mothers of adolescents with self-harm behaviors showed poorer emotion recognition, highlighting the need to address maternal cognitive-emotional factors in interventions.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Developmental Psychology
- Social Neuroscience
Background:
- Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in adolescents is often associated with adverse family environments.
- While parental factors are implicated, specific maternal social-cognitive traits require further investigation.
- Understanding these maternal traits is crucial for developing targeted interventions for adolescent self-harm.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate autistic traits and mentalization skills in mothers of adolescents engaging in NSSI.
- To compare these traits between mothers of adolescents with suicide attempts and NSSI-only, versus mothers of healthy controls.
- To explore the relationship between maternal social-cognitive factors and adolescent self-harm behaviors.
Main Methods:
- A sample of 100 female adolescents was divided into three groups: Suicide Attempt and NSSI, NSSI-only, and healthy controls.
- Mothers completed the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ) and the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET).
- Analyses of Covariance (ANCOVA) controlled for socioeconomic confounders.
Main Results:
- Mothers of adolescents in both clinical groups had significantly lower RMET scores, indicating impaired mentalization.
- Mothers in clinical groups showed specific deficits in the social skills subscale of the AQ.
- Adolescents who attempted suicide reported higher "interpersonal influence" scores for self-harm functions.
Conclusions:
- Maternal deficits in mentalization and social skills may foster an invalidating family environment, increasing adolescent risk for self-harm.
- These findings underscore the importance of assessing and intervening with maternal cognitive-emotional factors in adolescent self-harm.
- Targeting maternal social-cognitive deficits could be a key component in preventing and treating adolescent self-injury.
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