title: Predictors for DSM-5 nonsuicidal self-injury in female adolescent inpatients: The role of childhood maltreatment, alexithymia, and dissociation.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between various adverse childhood experiences, alexithymia, and dissociation in predicting nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) in an inpatient sample of female adolescents. Seventy-two adolescents (aged 14-18 years) with NSSI disorder (n=46) or mental disorders without NSSI (n=26) completed diagnostic interviews and self-report measures to assess NSSI disorder according to the DSM-5 criteria, childhood maltreatment, alexithymia, and dissociation. Alexithymia and dissociation were highly prevalent in both study groups. Multivariate logistic regression analyses indicated that only alexithymia was a significant predictor for NSSI, whereas childhood maltreatment and dissociation had no predictive influence. The association between alexithymia and NSSI emphasizes the significance of emotion regulation training for female adolescents with NSSI. Efforts to reduce NSSI behavior should therefore foster skills to heighten the perception and recognition of one's own emotions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychiatric Clinics of the University Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Janine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lüdtke
authors.affiliation: Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Koblenz-Landau, Germany.
authors.forename: Tina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: In-Albon
authors.affiliation: University Hospital of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Chantal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Michel
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychiatric Clinics of the University Basel, Basel, Switzerland. Electronic address: Marc.Schmid@upkbs.ch.
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schmid
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology*; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D004213:Dissociative Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D008297:Male; D057566:Self Report; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology
keywords: Alexithymia; Childhood maltreatment; Dissociation; Emotion regulation; Nonsuicidal self-injury