title: The longitudinal course of non-suicidal self-injury and deliberate self-harm: a systematic review of the literature.
abstract: Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) has been proposed as diagnostic entity and was added to the section 3 of the DSM 5. Nevertheless, little is known about the long-term course of this disorder and many studies have pointed to the fact that NSSI seems to be volatile over time. We aimed to assemble studies providing longitudinal data about NSSI and furthermore included studies using the definition of deliberate self-harm (DSH) to broaden the epidemiological picture. Using a systematic search strategy, we were able to retrieve 32 studies reporting longitudinal data about NSSI and DSH. We furthermore aimed to describe predictors for the occurrence of NSSI and DSH that were identified in these longitudinal studies. Taken together, there is evidence for an increase in rates of NSSI and DSH in adolescence with a decline in young adulthood. With regards to predictors, rates of depressive symptoms and female gender were often reported as predictor for both NSSI and DSH.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Ulm, Steinhoevelstr. 5, 89075 Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: Paul L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Plener
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Ulm, Steinhoevelstr. 5, 89075 Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: Teresa S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Schumacher
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Ulm, Steinhoevelstr. 5, 89075 Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: Lara M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Munz
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Ulm, Steinhoevelstr. 5, 89075 Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: Rebecca C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Groschwitz
keywords: Deliberate self-harm; Longitudinal study; Non-suicidal self-injury; Predictors; Systematic review