Non-Suicidal Self-Injury

• Self-injury among high school students
  This research program seeks to examine the developmental trajectory of non-suicidal self-injury in the community. Having established a prevalence rate of 14% in a high school setting (Ross & Heath, 2002, 2003) this program continues to examine the role of self-injury in adolescents' coping. Following our initial research, several studies of NSSI in high school students have emerged in Canada (Laye-Gindhu & Schonert-Reichl, 2005; Nixon, Cloutier, & Jansson, 2007), the United States (Lloyd-Richardson et al., 2007; Muehlenkamp & Gutierrez, 2004; 2007), Australia (DeLeo & Heller, 2004), Turkey (Zoroglu et al., 2003), and the UK (Hawton et al., 2000; 2003). However, the largest of these (DeLeo & Heller, Hawton and colleagues), employed definitions that included drug overdose or misuse, and other suicide-related behaviours which confuses two distinct forms of self-injury, those with and without suicidal intent.

Our research team is currently collaborating with Rusty McLouth, Director of McLouth Research and Consulting in Kansas City, Missouri. We contributed detailed questions regarding NSSI and emotion regulation to the Kauffman Teen Survey (KTS). The KTS (which has now been reconstructed as the Missouri Teen Survey) asks youth in the Kansas City school districts every year a variety of questions ranging from inquiries concerning their future aspirations, to their use of illegal drugs, and overall well-being. This survey was administered throughout the winter and spring of 2007 to over 7,000 high school students. This study is the largest study of NSSI in high school students in the world. It provides essential information concerning gender, ethnicity, health, family composition, SES, drug use, and function of NSSI in youth. In our preliminary results, we have found a prevalence rate of 18.9% for having engaged in NSSI at least once and we have also noted important differences in method(s) and location of injury between male and female students (Heath, Toste, Baxter, & McLouth, 2008). It is expected that our participation in the MTS will continue to provide critical information about NSSI in the schools longitudinally.

 

 

 

Dr. Nancy Heath - Research Team - McGill University
Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology
3700 McTavish Street
Montréal, Québec
Canada H3A 1Y2
Tel. (514) 398-1232 - Fax (514) 398-6968
e-mail: heathreasearchteam@hotmail.com

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