Professional paper

Nonsuicidal Self-Injury and Identity Development in Adolescents

Nela Ercegović ; Psychiatric Hospital for Children and Youth, Zagreb, Croatia
Ljubica Paradžik ; Psychiatric Hospital for Children and Youth, Zagreb, Croatia
Vlatka Boričević Maršanić ; Psychiatric Hospital for Children and Youth, Zagreb, Croatia, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Medical School, Osijek, Croatia
Darko Marčinko ; University of Zagreb, School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia

Abstract

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a significant mental health problem among adolescents. Problems in identity formation have been hypothesised to play an important role in the emergence of self-harming behaviours among adolescents. The aims of the study were to examine clinical characteristics of hospitalized adolescents with NSSI and differences in identity development between inpatients with NSSI and general (school) adolescent population. The participants were adolescents aged 11 to 18 years of both genders. The clinical sample (n=31) included inpatients hospitalized for the first time at the psychiatric ward in whom NSSI was present 6 months before referral as established by clinical assessment. The school sample (n=294) consisted of elementary and high school students from the city of
Zagreb. All adolescents completed the Assessment of Identity Development in Adolescence (AIDA), while inpatients with NSSI also completed the Deliberate Self-Harm Inventory (DSHI). A high frequency and multiple types of NSSI were found in the clinical sample. Inpatient adolescents with NSSI had significantly higher scores on Identity Diffusion than students, which indicates greater difficulties in identity development in hospitalized adolescents with NSSI. A better understanding of the relationship between impairment of identity development and NSSI could improve the assessment and treatment
of adolescents with this significant psychiatric problem.

Keywords

Adolescence; Development of identity; Identity diffusion; Nonsuicidal self-injury

Hrčak ID:

214858

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/214858

Publication date:

7.1.2019.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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