Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Research in Psychology
Year: 2024
DOI:
[PDF]
Mental Problems in the Context of Self-Harming Behavior (A Review Study)
Slavka Demuthova, and Andrej Demuth
ABSTRACT:
Self-harm is a prevalent and high-risk form of behavior, primarily occurring among adolescents and young adults. While research in recent decades has primarily emphasized its increase and high prevalence within the general (non-clinical) population, more recent studies highlight its connection with various mental difficulties. The occurrence of comorbidities and mental problems among individuals who engage in self-harm remains underexplored. This study aims to map the occurrence of mental problems connected with self-harming behavior as reported in scientific articles. The objective is to identify the most frequently occurring mental problems and comorbidities within the self-harming population, categorize them according to the areas defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), and determine which category of mental problems is most frequently associated with self-harming behavior. The data were obtained through a review of scientific articles published up to September 2024, sourced from the Web of Science database, generated using the keywords: “self-harm,” “non-suicidal self-injury,” and “mental problems.” After removing duplicates and out-of-scope papers, 30 scientific articles formed the basis for analyzing the occurrence of mental difficulties. The most commonly reported mental problems at the symptom level associated with self-harm were depression (N=13, 43.3% of articles), anxiety (N=8, 26.7%), illegal substance use (N=6, 20%), and suicidal ideation/planning (N=6, 20%). Among the DSM-5 diagnostic categories, Relational Problems were most prevalent, closely followed by Substance-Related and Addictive Disorders and Depressive Disorders. For a comprehensive understanding of self-harming behavior, and especially for effective intervention, it is crucial to focus on the mental problems and diagnoses that accompany self-harm.
keywords: self-harm, mental problems, NSSI, DSM-5, prevalence