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. 2023 Dec 8:14:1251514.
doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1251514. eCollection 2023.

DSM-5 non-suicidal self-injury disorder in a community sample: comparing NSSI engagement, recency and severity among emerging adults

Serafine Dierickx  1   2 , Laurence Claes  2   3 , Tinne Buelens  4 , Dirk Smits  1   5 , Glenn Kiekens  1   6   7
Affiliations

DSM-5 non-suicidal self-injury disorder in a community sample: comparing NSSI engagement, recency and severity among emerging adults

Serafine Dierickx et al. Front Psychiatry. .

Abstract

Up to one in five emerging adults engage in non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). Providing a better understanding of factors that differentiate between who engages in lifetime NSSI and who is more likely to engage in recent and clinically severe NSSI can provide meaningful information for prevention and intervention of NSSI. The present study (n = 669) considered NSSI lifetime engagement (no prior history of NSSI vs. lifetime NSSI), recency [past NSSI (>12 months ago) vs. recent (≤12-month) NSSI], and clinical severity among those with recent NSSI (subthreshold vs. DSM-5 NSSI disorder). The prevalence of NSSI disorder was 8.4% in emerging adults aged 18 to 26 years old. Higher anxiety levels were related to NSSI engagement, but only depressive symptoms and NSSI versatility were consistently associated with more recent NSSI and NSSI disorder. A stepped-care approach may be required in addressing NSSI among emerging adults.

Keywords: emerging adults; non-suicidal self-injury; non-suicidal self-injury disorder; recency; severity.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Data differentiation in engagement, recency and severity of NSSI.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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