title: Adverse childhood experiences and their impact on frequency, severity, and the individual function of nonsuicidal self-injury in youth.
abstract: This study aimed to investigate a specific relationship between nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) and a variety of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) over and above childhood abuse and their impact on frequency, severity, and functions of NSSI. A sample of 125 inpatients (aged 13 to 26) was consecutively recruited within a psychiatric university hospital. Frequency, methods and functions of NSSI were assessed by the Functional Assessment of Self-Mutilation (FASM), ACEs were assessed by the Childhood Experiences of Care and Abuse Questionnaire (CECA.Q). The 12 month prevalence of NSSI in this representative, clinical sample was 60.0%. Engagement in NSSI was significantly related to ACEs with highest associations for maternal antipathy and neglect. Whilst ACEs were not associated with frequency or severity of NSSI, some ACEs were significantly related to the automatic functions of NSSI (e.g., affect regulation, anti-dissociative function or self-punishment) as well as to a peer identification function. NSSI represents a frequent phenomenon among young clinical populations and seems to be specifically related to ACEs with maternal antipathy or neglect commonly featured over and above experiences of abuse. Since ACEs also influence the functions of NSSI such factors need to be examined as part of clinical care planning.
authors.affiliation: Section for Disorders of Personality Development, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Centre for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany. kaessmichael@googlemail.com
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaess
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Parzer
authors.forename: Margarete
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mattern
authors.forename: Paul L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Plener
authors.forename: Antonia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bifulco
authors.forename: Franz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Resch
authors.forename: Romuald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Brunner
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult