title: Non-Suicidal Self-Injury--Does social support make a difference? An epidemiological investigation of a Danish national sample.
abstract: Teenagers and young adults who had experienced child maltreatment, being bullied in school and other serious life events have an increased risk of Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI), but some individuals manage to escape serious stressful life events. The research question is: does social support make a difference? A national representative sample of 4,718 persons born in 1984 were selected for an interview about their childhood, maltreatment, serious life events and social support in order to test if social support during childhood is a statistical mediator between childhood disadvantages and NSSI. The survey obtained a 67% response rate (N=2,980). The incidence rate of NSSI among this sample was estimated at 2.7% among young adult respondents. Participants with a history of child maltreatment, being bullied in school or other traumatic life events reported a rate of NSSI 6 times greater than participants without this history (odds ratio: 6.0). The correlation between traumatic life events during adolescence and NSSI is reduced when low social support is accounted for in the statistical model (p<0.01). The results indicate that social support is a partial mediator for NSSI. The reported low self-esteem indicates the importance of treating adolescents who are engaged in NSSI with respect and dignity when they are treated in the health care system. Results further imply that increasing social support may reduce the likelihood of NSSI.
authors.affiliation: SFI - The Danish National Centre For Social Research, Herluf Trolles Gade 11, Dk-1052 Copenhagen K, Denmark.
authors.forename: Mogens Nygaard
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Christoffersen
authors.affiliation: Psykiatric Center Copenhagen, Nannasgade 26, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark; Aalborg University, Kroghstraede 3, 9200 Aalborg, Denmark.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Møhl
authors.affiliation: Ruth H. Young Center for Families & Children, University of Maryland School of Social Work, 525 W. Redwood Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
authors.forename: Diane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: DePanfilis
authors.affiliation: SFI - The Danish National Centre For Social Research, Herluf Trolles Gade 11, Dk-1052 Copenhagen K, Denmark.
authors.forename: Katrine Schjødt
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Vammen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D054523:Adult Survivors of Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D058445:Bullying / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012649:Self Concept; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D012944:Social Support; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Child maltreatment; Life-experiences; NSSI; Self-harm; Social support; Trauma