title: Examining the acceptability, attractiveness, and effects of a school-based validating interview for adolescents who self-injure.
abstract: Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) in adolescents is a significant problem that needs to be addressed, and in some cases managed, in school settings. The current feasibility study uses screening questionnaires and follow up-interviews on NSSI in a community sample of adolescents (N = 1,052) in Sweden. Both adolescents reporting self-injury (n = 66) and a comparison group (n = 31) were interviewed, and information disclosed about self-injury, as well as the results from the interviewers assessments of the seriousness of these behaviors, were examined. Generally, adolescents reported positive feelings about being interviewed, and 52% of those who had reported self-injury in the questionnaire disclosed NSSI in the interviews. Further, a majority of these cases, 76%, were not assessed as very serious. When NSSI was reported in a questionnaire 1 year after the interview, there were no indications of iatrogenic effects from participating in the interview. The results support the feasibility of using NSSI screening questionnaires in combination with follow-up interviews in schools.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden. jonas.bjarehed@psychology.lu.se
authors.forename: Jonas
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bjärehed
authors.forename: Kajsa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pettersson
authors.forename: Margit
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wångby-Lundh
authors.forename: Lars-Gunnar
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Lundh
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological / Q000379:methods*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D015397:Program Evaluation / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012574:Schools; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden