Deliberate self-harm in adolescents during COVID-19: The roles of pandemic-related stress, emotion regulation difficulties, and social distancing.
Psychiatry Res
; 304: 114152, 2021 10.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1336863
ABSTRACT
The objective of this study was to conduct an ecologically valid test of etiological models of deliberate self-harm (DSH) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a sample of Canadian adolescents, we investigated (1) the association between COVID-19-related stress and DSH; (2) whether emotion regulation (ER) difficulties mediated/moderated this association, including whether these effects differed by age; and (3) whether the mediating/moderating effects of ER difficulties were stronger among socially distanced youth. Canadian adolescents (N = 809) aged 12-18 were recruited on social media and completed an online survey. COVID-19-related stress was associated with recent DSH. Nonacceptance of emotional responses and limited access to ER strategies fully mediated this association. The indirect effect through nonacceptance of emotional responses was stronger among more socially distanced youth, whereas the indirect effect through limited access to ER strategies was stronger among older and more socially distanced youth. COVID-19-related stress and ER difficulties did not interact to predict DSH, nor did age or social distancing moderate these interactions. These results align with etiological models proposing central roles for stress and ER difficulties in DSH. Furthermore, this study underscores a need to support adolescents, particularly older teens with reduced in-person interactions, in adaptively coping with pandemic-related stress.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Self-Injurious Behavior
/
Emotional Regulation
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Etiology study
/
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
Limits:
Adolescent
/
Humans
Country/Region as subject:
North America
Language:
English
Journal:
Psychiatry Res
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
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