title: Biting myself so I don't bite the dust: prevalence and predictors of deliberate self-harm and suicide ideation in Azorean youths.
abstract: To characterize non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) behaviors, methods, and functions as well as suicide ideation in the adolescent population of a Portuguese community in São Miguel Island, Azores. Increasing rates of NSSI behaviors among adolescents have been observed globally, while suicidal behavior has been pointed as a major cause of death during adolescence.
  A sample of 1,763 adolescents, aged 14 to 22, was randomly drawn from public and private schools and administered a set of self-report questionnaires. Descriptive and regression analyses were used to look for specific relationships and predictors of NSSI and suicide ideation in this isolated community.
  Approximately 30% of youths reported at least one NSSI behavior, a rate that is twice as high as most studies carried out in mainland Portugal and in other European countries. Biting oneself was the most frequent form of NSSI, and NSSI behaviors served predominantly automatic reinforcement purposes (i.e., regulation of disruptive emotional states). NSSI and suicide ideation encompassed different distal and proximal risk factors.
  Exploring and characterizing these phenomena is necessary to provide a better understanding, enhance current conceptualizations, and guide the development of more effective prevention and intervention strategies in youths.
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas, Universidade dos Açores, Ponta Delgada, Portugal.|Centro de Investigação do Núcleo de Estudos e Intervenção Cognitivo-Comportamental (CINEICC), Faculdade de Psicologia e de Ciências da Educação, Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Célia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Barreto Carvalho
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas, Universidade dos Açores, Ponta Delgada, Portugal.|Centro de Investigação do Núcleo de Estudos e Intervenção Cognitivo-Comportamental (CINEICC), Faculdade de Psicologia e de Ciências da Educação, Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: da Motta
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas, Universidade dos Açores, Ponta Delgada, Portugal.
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sousa
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas, Universidade dos Açores, Ponta Delgada, Portugal.
authors.forename: Joana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cabral
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D001394:Azores / Q000453:epidemiology; D000067290:Behavior Rating Scale / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001734:Bites, Human / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015995:Prevalence; D000066553:Problem Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D012309:Risk-Taking; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D059020:Suicidal Ideation; D055815:Young Adult