<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><sec id="j_sjcapp-2014-003_s_001"><h3>Background:</h3><p>Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and indirect self-harm are prevalent among adolescents, but it is rare to see them described as related topics.</p></sec><sec id="j_sjcapp-2014-003_s_002"><h3>Objective:</h3><p>The purpose of this study was to investigate whether there is a correlation between the frequencies of NSSI and indirect self-harm (e.g., eating problems, alcohol and drug use) and how this may be influenced by gender.</p></sec><sec id="j_sjcapp-2014-003_s_003"><h3>Method:</h3><p>Questionnaires about NSSI (e.g., cutting, burning, scratching, hitting oneself) and indirect self-harm were distributed to high school students in the Copenhagen area (N = 5650; response rate 53%; females 60.8%).</p></sec><sec id="j_sjcapp-2014-003_s_004"><h3>Results:</h3><p>A total of 21.5% of the survey respondents had engaged in NSSI (lifetime prevalence), and 16.2% had practiced NSSI within the previous year. Gender differences in NSSI methods were identified. A total of 53.9% of the students had engaged in one or more types of indirect self-harm. The correlation between NSSI and indirect self-harm is twice as high for males (0.44; <italic toggle="yes">P</italic> ` .001) as compared with females (0.20; <italic toggle="yes">P</italic> ` .001).</p></sec><sec id="j_sjcapp-2014-003_s_005"><h3>Conclusions:</h3><p>Clinicians must be aware of both NSSI and indirect self-harm. A positive correlation is seen, especially among young males. Males often perform other kinds of NSSI as compared with females, and clinicians must look for gender-specific signs of NSSI. It is argued that NSSI can be perceived as a “social pathology,” but it is also indicated that NSSI and indirect self-harm can be evaluated as an expression of ordinary behavior among modern high school students that must not be medicalized.</p></sec></abstract>

Background:Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and indirect self-harm are prevalent among adolescents, but it is rare to see them described as related topics.Objective:The purpose of this study was to investigate whether there is a correlation between the frequencies of NSSI and indirect self-harm (e.g., eating problems, alcohol and drug use) and how this may be influenced by gender.Method:Questionnaires about NSSI (e.g., cutting, burning, scratching, hitting oneself) and indirect self-harm were distributed to high school students in the Copenhagen area (N = 5650; response rate 53%; females 60.8%).Results:A total of 21.5% of the survey respondents had engaged in NSSI (lifetime prevalence), and 16.2% had practiced NSSI within the previous year. Gender differences in NSSI methods were identified. A total of 53.9% of the students had engaged in one or more types of indirect self-harm. The correlation between NSSI and indirect self-harm is twice as high for males (0.44; P ` .001) as compared with females (0.20; P ` .001).Conclusions:Clinicians must be aware of both NSSI and indirect self-harm. A positive correlation is seen, especially among young males. Males often perform other kinds of NSSI as compared with females, and clinicians must look for gender-specific signs of NSSI. It is argued that NSSI can be perceived as a “social pathology,” but it is also indicated that NSSI and indirect self-harm can be evaluated as an expression of ordinary behavior among modern high school students that must not be medicalized.

Non-Suicidal Self-Injury and Indirect Self-Harm Among Danish High School Students

Scandinavian Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Background:Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and indirect self-harm are prevalent among adolescents, but it is rare to see them described as related...

Cut yourself (cutting)	Yes	No
Burned yourself	Yes	No
Scratched yourself	Yes	No
Hit yourself	Yes	No
Other	______________________________________________________

Have you ever deliberately starved yourself and/or deliberately vomited when having eaten too much?	Yes	No
Have you ever drunk so much alcohol that you blacked out?	Yes	No
Have you ever taken drugs (amphetamine, LSD, heroin, or the like)?	Yes	No

Sex	Male	Â	Female	(put a mark)
Grade	1.g	2.g	3.g	Â

Non-Suicidal Self-Injury and Indirect Self-Harm Among Danish High School Students

Article Category: research-article

Publié en ligne: 30 nov. 2013

Pages: 11 - 18

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21307/sjcapp-2014-003

Mots clés
Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), methods of non-suicidal self-injury, gender-specific NSSI, indirect self-harm, adolescents, social pathology

© 2014 Bo MÃ¸hl et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

j.sjcapp-2014-003.tab.003

j.sjcapp-2014-003.tab.004

j.sjcapp-2014-003.tab.005

j.sjcapp-2014-003.tab.001

j.sjcapp-2014-003.tab.002

Non-Suicidal Self-Injury and Indirect Self-Harm Among Danish High School Students

Article Category: research-article

Publié en ligne: 30 nov. 2013

Pages: 11 - 18

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21307/sjcapp-2014-003

Mots clésNon-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), methods of non-suicidal self-injury, gender-specific NSSI, indirect self-harm, adolescents, social pathology

© 2014 Bo MÃ¸hl et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

j.sjcapp-2014-003.tab.003

j.sjcapp-2014-003.tab.004

j.sjcapp-2014-003.tab.005

j.sjcapp-2014-003.tab.001

j.sjcapp-2014-003.tab.002

Mots clés
Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), methods of non-suicidal self-injury, gender-specific NSSI, indirect self-harm, adolescents, social pathology