Social Representations About the Functions of Deliberate Self-Harm: Construction and Validation of a Questionnaire for Portuguese Adolescents

Young adults who self-harm: Barriers to and facilitators of seeking help

In Portugal, the lifetime prevalence of DSH in adolescents is situated between 16% and 35% (Duarte et al., 2020a; Gouveia-Pereira et al., 2016). Help-seeking is an important facilitator to stop these behaviors, although it is known that most individuals who engage in self-harm do not ask for help (Rowe et al., 2014). Study one (n = 222) examines the differences between two groups of young adults with a history of deliberate self-harm (participants who asked for help and participants who did not ask for help) regarding these behaviors' severity and diversity, suicidal ideation, and family conflicts. Participants completed a self-report questionnaire which included an open-ended question focused on the reasons that may or may not contribute for seeking help. Significant differences between the two groups were found for all variables and are further discussed, followed by a qualitative analysis concerning the help-seeking motives. Study two (n = 110) used a self-report questionnaire to analyze the expectations of young adults with a history of deliberate self-harm concerning their social support network and the role of healthcare workers when they asked or thought about asking for help. These expectations included contents related with problem-solving, confidentiality, understanding and trust, support, and unburdening. Identifying facilitators and barriers to help-seeking can be a relevant step in planning and managing interventions within deliberate self-harm. Future directions and limitations are discussed.

Clinical Applications of European Adolescent Assessment Research

This article discusses clinical applications of three empirical articles published in the present issue of JPA, all focused on adolescent assessment in European countries. Both adolescent and non-American populations receive too little attention in the assessment literature, and these articles aim to address this problem, through research on trait reactance in Portuguese adolescents, reasons for self-harm in Portuguese adolescents, and application of the Roberts-2 with Italian adolescents. How these articles apply to actual clinical practice is discussed.

Development and Factorial Validation of the Inventory of Deliberate Self-Harm Behaviours for Portuguese Adolescents

Deliberate self-harm (DSH) is a public health problem that mainly affects adolescents and young adults. Evidence suggests that multiple methods are used with a self-aggressive intent. The present article focuses on the development and factorial validation of the Inventory of Deliberate Self-harm Behaviours for Portuguese adolescents. This instrument assesses the lifetime frequency of 13 DSH methods, with and without suicidal intent. Study 1 consisted of an exploratory factor analysis with a sample of 131 adolescents with a reported history of DSH. Results revealed a three-factor structure with acceptable internal consistency: High Severity DSH, Mild Severity DSH, and Substance Use DSH. After item reduction, this structure was tested in Study 2 through a confirmatory factor analysis with an independent sample of 109 adolescents also with a history of DSH. Results showed an acceptable model fit. This instrument presents a solid structure and acceptable psychometric properties, allowing its use in further research.

Social representations about the functions of deliberate self-harm: Adolescents and parents

INTRODUCTION

The understanding of the social representations about the functions of deliberate self-harm can be an important factor for the comprehension of this phenomenon. Nonetheless, only a few studies focused on this topic and specifically on the social representations from adolescents with and without a history of deliberate self-harm and their parents.

METHODS

This article presents two studies that analysed these representations. Study 1 compared the social representations from 411 Portuguese adolescents (219 females and 192 males, aged 12-19 years), from which 109 reported having a history of deliberate self-harm. Study 2 focused on the comparison of the social representations from 471 parents (265 mothers and 206 fathers, aged 33-62 years) of Portuguese adolescents. Of the parents in Study 2, 120 had children with a history of deliberate self-harm.

RESULTS

In Study 1, adolescents without a history of deliberate self-harm perceived most interpersonal functions as more relevant than adolescents with a history of these behaviours, while adolescents with a history of deliberate self-harm emphasized one intrapersonal function. In Study 2, no differences were found between parents of adolescents with and without a history of deliberate self-harm. However, results revealed differences between the representations of mothers and fathers in several intrapersonal functions.

CONCLUSIONS

This research provides important insight regarding the social representations about the functions of deliberate self-harm from adolescents with and without a reported history of these behaviours and their parents. The impact for clinical intervention and prevention programs is discussed.