Belastende Kindheitserfahrungen und selbstverletzendes Verhalten – die Rolle der Emotionsregulation

[Interaction between COMT gene polymorphisms and childhood trauma in adolescents with non-suicidal self-injury]

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the interaction between catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene polymorphisms and childhood trauma in adolescents with non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), and to provide a basis for the prevention and intervention of NSSI among adolescents.

METHODS

A total of 84 adolescents with NSSI and 87 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. Oral saliva samples were collected for genotyping of the COMT gene at rs4680 and rs165599. Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, Behavioral Function Assessment Scale of Non-suicidal Self-injury in Adolescents, and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 Items were used for mental health assessment. A hierarchical linear regression analysis was used to examine the main effect and interactive effect of COMT gene polymorphisms at rs4680 and rs165599 and childhood trauma on NSSI. The Johnson-Neyman technique was used to identify the regions where the moderating variables had a significant impact.

RESULTS

The interaction between COMT gene polymorphisms at rs165599 and the subtype of emotional neglect in childhood trauma could predict NSSI in adolescents (β=0.251, t=2.329, P=0.022). As for the adolescents carrying the G/G genotype at rs165599, the high emotional neglect group had a significantly higher NSSI score than the low emotional neglect group (F=4.579, P=0.049).

CONCLUSIONS

Adolescents carrying the G/G genotype at rs165599 of the COMT gene may have an increase in susceptibility to NSSI in case of high emotional neglect in childhood.

The relationship between negative peer relationship and non-suicidal self-injury in Chinese adolescents: A moderated-mediation model

Objective

The objective of the study was to investigate the mediating effect of regulatory emotional self-efficacy (RESE) between negative peer relationship and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), as well as the moderating effect of gender difference.

Methods

A study of 578 Chinese adolescents (46.9% males, mean age = 16.32 years, SD =0.54) was conducted using the Child and Adolescent Peer Relationship Inventory, Regulatory Emotional Self-Efficacy Scale, and the Adolescent Self-Injury Questionnaire.

Results

Negative peer relationship was positively correlated with NSSI, and RESE was negatively correlated with negative peer relationship and NSSI. RESE mediated the association between negative peer relationship and NSSI. The first stage(predicting the effect of negative peer relationship on RESE) and the second stage (predicting the effect of RESE on NSSI) of the mediation effect of RESE were both moderated by gender. Specifically, compared with boys, the effect of negative peer relationship on RESE was stronger for girls, and the effect of RESE on NSSI was stronger for girls than boys.

Conclusion

Negative peer relationships may influence NSSI of adolescents through the mediating effect of RESE and the moderating role of gender.

Schulbasiertes Training für Jugendliche zur Emotionsregulation

Zusammenfassung. Theoretischer Hintergrund: Trainingsprogramme zur Emotionsregulation für Jugendliche sind notwendig, da eine Dysregulation der Emotionen die Entwicklung von psychischen Störungen begünstigen kann. Fragestellung: Ziel dieser systematischen Literaturübersicht ist es, einen Überblick über aktuelle Publikationen zu Trainingsprogrammen von 2015 – 2020 zu geben. Methode: Im Rahmen der Literaturrecherche konnten sechs Publikationen eingeschlossen werden. Ergebnisse: Es zeigten sich positive Effekte bei der Programmdurchführung durch externe Personen, vor allem durch Fachpersonen und keine bis negative Effekte bei der Durchführung durch das Schulpersonal. Ein positiver Einfluss durch die Einbeziehung der Eltern konnte in einem Trainingsprogramm vermutet werden, wobei die Ergebnisse statistisch nicht signifikant waren. Schlussfolgerung: Es zeigt sich die Notwendigkeit weiterer Evaluation von Trainingsprogrammen, welche sich vor allem auch mit dem Einbezug der Bezugspersonen beschäftigen und untersuchen, inwiefern Trainer_inneneffekte auch bei Studien mit einer besseren Vergleichbarkeit vorliegen.

Resting state prefrontal cortex oxygenation in adolescent non-suicidal self-injury - A near-infrared spectroscopy study

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Resting prefrontal cortex (PFC) oxygenation is decreased in adolescents with non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) compared to healthy controls.

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Lower PFC oxygenation (full sample) is associated with greater adverse childhood experiences and less health-related quality of life (HRQoL).

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On the group-level, patients show no alterations of resting state functional connectivity within the PFC.

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Among other clinical variables, increased PFC connectivity (full sample) is associated with greater borderline personality pathology.

Introduction

Neural alterations in limbic and prefrontal circuits in association with self-injurious behavior have been studied primarily in adult borderline personality disorder (BPD). In adolescent patients, research is still sparse. Here, we used resting functional near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to examine oxygenation of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and its association with symptom severity in adolescents engaging in non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and matched healthy controls (HC).

Methods

Adolescents (12–17 years) with recurrent episodes of NSSI (n = 170) and healthy controls (n = 43) performed a low-demanding resting-state vanilla baseline task. Mean oxygenation of the PFC and functional connectivity within the PFC, were measured using an 8-channel functional NIRS system (Octamon, Artinis, The Netherlands). Various clinical variables derived from diagnostic interviews and self-reports were included in statistical analyses to explore potential associations with PFC oxygenation and connectivity.

Results

Adolescents with NSSI showed significantly decreased PFC oxygenation compared to HC, as indexed by oxygenated hemoglobin. Lower PFC oxygenation was associated with greater adverse childhood experiences and less health-related quality of life (HRQoL). While there was no evidence for alterations in PFC connectivity in adolescents engaging in NSSI compared to HC, increased PFC connectivity in the full sample was associated with greater adverse childhood experience, greater BPD pathology, greater depression severity and psychological burden in general, as well as lower HRQoL.

Conclusion

This study is the first to examine PFC oxygenation using NIRS technology in adolescents engaging in NSSI. Overall, results indicate small effects not specific to NSSI. Clinical implications of these findings and recommendations for further research are discussed.