Educational stakeholders' attitudes and knowledge about nonsuicidal self-injury among university students: A cross-national study

Non-Suicidal Self-Injury among Adolescents: Effect of Knowledge, Attitudes, Role Perceptions, and Barriers in Mental Health Care on Teachers' Responses

BACKGROUND

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) involves the deliberate harm of one's body without the intent to commit suicide and is particularly concerning among adolescents. Teachers play a critical role as gatekeepers in identifying and addressing self-harm, underscoring the importance of their knowledge and response strategies in this area. This study explored how teachers' knowledge, attitudes towards NSSI, perceived roles, and workplace barriers affect their responses to students exhibiting NSSI behaviors.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 203 middle and high school teachers in Israel. Data were collected during July and August 2023 using six validated questionnaires.

RESULTS

Higher levels of teacher knowledge, positive attitudes, and strong role perceptions correlated with more effective responses to NSSI, whereas increased workplace barriers tended to diminish response efficacy. Positive correlations emerged between role perception and both knowledge and attitudes, whereas negative correlations emerged between workplace barriers, attitudes, and role perceptions. Teaching experience moderated the impact of role perception and workplace barriers on responses. Significant differences were observed between regular and special education settings, although no differences were noted in referral rates or years of seniority.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that enhancing teacher knowledge and attitudes towards NSSI, while addressing workplace barriers, can improve response efficacy in educational settings.

Short Form of Mental Health Literacy Questionnaire for Adults: Psychometric Properties of Serbian Version

 Mental health literacy (MHL) has been widely explored by researchers who focus on youth mental health. However, there is little data related to the validity and reliability of the tools for the assessment of MHL constructs. The present study aimed to adapt the short version of Mental Health Literacy Questionnaire for young adults in Serbian sample and examine its psychometric properties. Translation and adaptation of items were performed using the following procedures: item are translated from English or Serbian by a bilingual translator and using a think-aloud procedure, back-translation, semantic comparison of the translation, and analysis of the translated version by the original version of the manuscript. The sample consisted of 344 participants aged 17 to 25 years, which is in accordance with the recommended number of participants needed for quantitative instrument validation studies. Confirmatory factor, internal consistency, and external validity analyses were performed. The results supported the validity of a shorter version of the questionnaire (MHLq-SVa), composed of 16 items that fit with four previously defined MHL dimensions (knowledge, beliefs, help-seeking intentions, and self-help strategies). Internal consistency, between-factor correlations, and correlations with other relevant mental health constructs further supported the adequacy of the instrument's psychometric properties. We recommend the MHLq-SVa as valid and reliable measure for assessing MHL in young adults and encourage further exploration at more diverse and representative samples.

A longitudinal investigation of non-suicidal self-injury persistence patterns, risk factors, and clinical outcomes during the college period

BACKGROUND

Although non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is known typically to begin in adolescence, longitudinal information is lacking about patterns, predictors, and clinical outcomes of NSSI persistence among emerging adults. The present study was designed to (1) estimate NSSI persistence during the college period, (2) identify risk factors and high-risk students for NSSI persistence patterns, and (3) evaluate the association with future mental disorders and suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STB).

METHODS

Using prospective cohorts from the Leuven College Surveys (n = 5915), part of the World Mental Health International College Student Initiative, web-based surveys assessed mental health and psychosocial problems at college entrance and three annual follow-up assessments.

RESULTS

Approximately one in five (20.4%) students reported lifetime NSSI at college entrance. NSSI persistence was estimated at 56.4%, with 15.6% reporting a high-frequency repetitive pattern (≥five times yearly). Many hypothesized risk factors were associated with repetitive NSSI persistence, with the most potent effects observed for pre-college NSSI characteristics. Multivariate models suggest that an intervention focusing on the 10-20% at the highest predicted risk could effectively reach 34.9-56.7% of students with high-frequency repetitive NSSI persistence (PPV = 81.8-93.4, AUC = 0.88-0.91). Repetitive NSSI persistence during the first two college years predicted 12-month mental disorders, role impairment, and STB during the third college year, including suicide attempts.

CONCLUSIONS

Most emerging adults with a history of NSSI report persistent self-injury during their college years. Web-based screening may be a promising approach for detecting students at risk for a highly persistent NSSI pattern characterized by subsequent adverse outcomes.