ABSTRACT

Objectives: The prevalence of non-suicidal self-injurious behavior (NSSI) among adolescents has been increasing globally in recent years. It has been established that NSSIs are more common in children and adolescents who have experienced abuse and delinquency; however, there are limited studies on the clinical characteristics of adolescents who exhibit this behavior. This study aimed to compare adolescents’ clinical features and sociodemographic data with and without NSSI.

Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the forensic records of adolescents referred to the university hospital's child and adolescent psychiatry outpatient clinic. Sociodemographic characteristics, type of forensic referral, institutional care history, recurrent crime involvement, presence of NSSI, cigarette-alcohol-substance (CAS) use, suicide attempts, scores on the Screening for Child Anxiety-Related Emotional Disorders Scale and Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI), and psychiatric diagnoses were evaluated.

Results: Among the 322 patients, 59.6% were male. NSSI was present in 6.2% (n=20) of the cases. NSSI interventions before forensic referral were observed in 70% of the NSSI group. Significant differences were found between groups with and without NSSI in terms of female gender, CAS use, juvenile delinquency, sexual abuse victimization, and suicide attempts. Being a victim of sexual abuse and having a history of suicide attempts were independently identified as risk factors associated with NSSI. The mean CDI score was significantly higher in the NSSI group.

Conclusion: In clinical practice, considering the possibility of juvenile delinquency and victimization among patients with NSSI. The risk of legal involvement can be mitigated by closely monitoring high-risk adolescents, providing them with appropriate treatment, support, and rehabilitation programs, and incorporating them into initiatives aimed at preventing CAS.