Self-Injury and Externalizing Pathology: A Systematic Literature Review

dc.contributor.authorMeszaros, G., Horvath, L. O., & Balazs, J.
dc.date.accessioned2017-06-02T15:57:33Z
dc.date.available2017-06-02T15:57:33Z
dc.date.issued2017
dc.description.abstractBackground: During the last decade there is a growing scientific interest in nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). The aim of the current paper was to review systematically the literature with a special focus on the associations between self-injurious behaviours and externalizing psychopathology. An additional aim was to review terminology and measurements of self-injurious behaviour and the connection between self-injurious behaviours and suicide in the included publications. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted on 31st December 2016 in five databases (PubMed, OVID Medline, OVID PsycINFO, Scopus, Web of Science) with two categories of search terms (1. nonsuicidal self-injury, non-suicidal self-injury, NSSI, self-injurious behaviour, SIB, deliberate self-harm, DSH, self-injury; 2. externalizing disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, ADHD, conduct disorder, CD, oppositional defiant disorder, OD, ODD). Results: Finally 35 papers were included. Eleven different terms were found for describing self-injurious behaviours and 20 methods for measuring it. NSSI has the clearest definition. All the examined externalizing psychopathologies had strong associations with self-injurious behaviours according to: higher prevalence rates in externalizing groups than in control groups, higher externalizing scores on the externalizing scales of questionnaires, higher symptom severity in self-injurious groups. Eight studies investigated the relationship between suicide and self-injurious behaviours and found high overlap between the two phenomena and similar risk factors. Conclusions: Based on the current findings the association between externalizing psychopathology and self-injurious behaviours has been proven by the scientific literature. Similarly to other reviews on self-injurious behaviours the confusion in terminology and methodology was noticed. NSSI is suggested for use as a distinct term. Further studies should investigate the role of comorbid conditions in NSSI, especially when internalizing and externalizing pathologies are both presented. (Author Abstract)en_US
dc.identifier.citationMeszaros, G., Horvath, L. O., & Balazs, J. (2017). Self-injury and externalizing pathology: a systematic literature review. BMC psychiatry, 17(1), 160.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5415783/pdf/12888_2017_Article_1326.pdf
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11212/3369
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherBMC Psychiatryen_US
dc.subjectchild abuseen_US
dc.subjectpsychological effectsen_US
dc.subjectself-harmen_US
dc.subjectself-mutilationen_US
dc.subjectself-inflicted injuryen_US
dc.subjectliterature reviewen_US
dc.titleSelf-Injury and Externalizing Pathology: A Systematic Literature Reviewen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US

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