Deliberate Self‐Harm in 14‐Year‐Old Adolescents: How Frequent Is It, and How Is It Associated with Psychopathology, Relationship Variables, and Styles of Emotional Regulation?

Abstract

Deliberate self‐harm was studied in 14‐year‐old adolescents from four schools in southern Sweden with a test–retest design, using a nine‐item version of the Deliberate Self‐Harm Inventory. At Time 1, 40.2% of the adolescents indicated deliberate self‐harm on at least one occasion compared with 36.5% at Time 2. Test–retest data showed high stability over periods of up to 2 months in duration. Cross‐validation of the results from Time 1 to Time 2 showed robust correlations between deliberate self‐harm and general psychopathology, a relative absence of positive feelings toward parents, and a ruminative style of emotional regulation. Further, rumination/negative thinking and a relative absence of positive feelings toward parents were predictors of self‐harm independently of general psychopathology. In addition, deliberate self‐harm correlated with symptoms of eating disorder and negative body esteem in girls.

Keywords:

• deliberate self‐harm
• adolescents
• psychopathology
• emotional regulation

Acknowledgements

The present research was financed by the Swedish Council for Work Life and Social Research. We thank Johan Andersson, Maria Hellmo, Torun Kallings, Nina Klarin, Sofia Lönnberg, Pär Madehall, Helena Persson, Magdalena Svensson, and Linda Sällqvist for help with data collection.