Prevalence of non-suicidal self-injury and distinct groups of self-injurers in a community sample of adolescents.

PURPOSE: Adolescence is an important developmental period for the first onset of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), a behavior known to be associated with elevated suicide risk. Little is currently known, however, about NSSI among adolescents. The primary objectives of this research were to establish the prevalence of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in a representative sample of Turkish high school students and to identify and describe distinct subgroups of self-injurers. METHODS: A total of 1656 of 1676 eligible students (98.8 % participation rate) from 18 schools were surveyed during the 2010-2011 academic year. Questionnaires were administered that assessed prior engagement in a variety of self-injurious behaviors, current psychiatric symptoms, suicide-related risk factors, and participation in health-risk behaviors. Latent class analysis (LCA) methods were used to identify distinct groups of self-injurers. RESULTS: Almost one-third of the sample (N = 519) endorsed some previous engagement in NSSI behaviors. In LCA analyses restricted to youth with prior histories of NSSI, four distinct classes were identified characterized by: (1) low rates of NSSI behaviors (29 %); (2) high rates of self-battery (32 %); (3) high rates of self-cutting (19 %); and (4) high rates of multiple NSSI behaviors (19 %). These classes were further distinguished by current psychiatric symptoms, suicide risk factors, and other health-risk behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from the present study indicate that NSSI is a common form of behavior among adolescent youth. There is, however, considerable heterogeneity among those with NSSI histories, with about 40 % at particularly high risk for ongoing distress, future acts of intentional self-harm, and suicidal behavior.

A Basic Bivariate Structure of Personality Attributes Evident Across Nine Languages.

Here, two studies seek to characterize a parsimonious common-denominator personality structure with optimal cross-cultural replicability. Personality differences are observed in all human populations and cultures, but lexicons for personality attributes contain so many distinctions that parsimony is lacking. Models stipulating the most important attributes have been formulated by experts or by empirical studies drawing on experience in a very limited range of cultures. Factor analyses of personality lexicons of nine languages of diverse provenance (Chinese, Korean, Filipino, Turkish, Greek, Polish, Hungarian, Maasai, and Senoufo) were examined, and their common structure was compared to that of several prominent models in psychology. A parsimonious bivariate model showed evidence of substantial convergence and ubiquity across cultures. Analyses involving key markers of these dimensions in English indicate that they are broad dimensions involving the overlapping content of the interpersonal circumplex, models of communion and agency, and morality/warmth and competence. These "Big Two" dimensions-Social Self-Regulation and Dynamism-provide a common-denominator model involving the two most crucial axes of personality variation, ubiquitous across cultures. The Big Two might serve as an umbrella model serving to link diverse theoretical models and associated research literatures.

[The validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the inventory of statements about self-injury]. / Kendine Zarar Verme Davranisi Degerlendirme Envanteri'nin Türkçe Formunun Geçerlik ve Güvenilirlik Çalismasi

OBJECTIVE: Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is defined as the repetitive deliberate destruction of one's body tissue without suicidal intent and is frequently repetitive. The aim of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Inventory of Statements About Self-injury (ISAS), a measure designed to comprehensively assess non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). The ISAS assesses 13 functions of NSSI, as well as the frequency of 12 NSSI behaviors. METHOD: The ISAS was administered to 529 high school students who had performed at least one NSSI behavior. The internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the scale were examined; for construct validity, the relationship between the Turkish form of the ISAS and various criteria scales was examined, and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted. RESULTS: Consistent with previous research, factor analysis of the functions scale confirmed the good-fit of the original's 2-dimension model (c²=243; s.d. = 59; NCI (c²/sd) = 4; RMSEA = 0.08 (.07-.09); CFI=0.97; NFI=0.97). In order to test the scale for construct validity, the Brief Symptom Inventory and Suicide Probability Scale were administered to participants, in addition to the ISAS, and the correlations with clinical constructs (e.g., suicidality, depression, anxiety) were in the expected direction. Also the reliability analysis revealed that the ISAS subscales demonstrated high internal consistency. CONCLUSION: In the light of the findings, it was concluded that the Turkish version of ISAS could be used as a reliable and valid tool in assessing non-suicidal self-injury in research and treatment contexts.

Parental recall of pre-school behavior related to ADHD and disruptive behavior disorder.

The aim of this study was to examine the contribution of Age of Onset Criterion (AOC) to the diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and disruptive behavior disorder. For this purpose, a 10-item Likert-type Parent Assessment of Pre-school Behavior Scale (PARPS), developed by the experimenters, was used to examine the presence of ADHD related pre-school behaviors in a sample of 246 children. Factor analysis and correlational analysis imply the continuity of ADHD and disruptive behavior disorder from pre-school to the elementary school years. Discriminant analysis was used to examine the diagnostic capabilities of PARPS, both by itself, and in conjunction with a battery of widely used diagnostic and clinical ADHD and disruptive behavior scales. The results of this study suggest that PARPS is a short and user-friendly scale that can contribute to the examination of the presence of AOC in ADHD and disruptive behavior disorder.