Risk and protective factors for self-harm
27.6% of European adolescents report having intentionally self-harmed at least once in their lives (Brunner et al., 2014). Many people who self-harm explain that they do so because they feel unable to cope with an intense emotion (such as sadness or anger), and they use self-harm to try to reduce, manage, or escape from those feelings.
The emotional relief experienced after self-harm can lead to the use of this same strategy for managing difficult emotions in the future. However, this effect is short-lived, and in the medium and long term, even worse feelings, such as guilt or fear, are very likely to emerge. Furthermore, people who self-harm tend to experience greater emotional distress, difficulties in relationships, and lower academic performance . Therefore, it can be said that self-harm can become a very serious problem.
One of the risk factors for self-harm is adolescence itself. Self-harm typically begins between the ages of 12 and 16, a particularly vulnerable period. One reason for this may be impulsivity, and another is the heightened emotional reactivity associated with development during this stage.
But apart from adolescence, there are other specific risk factors for self-harming behaviors, such as:
- A previous history of self-harm .
- The presence of unstable personality traits , with high emotional reactivity, affective instability, an excessive need for approval or admiration, etc.
- Despair .
- Gender . Some studies show that women are more likely than men to engage in self-harm, regardless of age.
- Adverse interpersonal experiences . Some studies suggest an increased risk in people who have experienced sexual abuse, parental neglect, bullying, or mistreatment, although this does not mean that having suffered these experiences is the cause of self-harm behavior.
- Social learning and imitation . Seeing these behaviors at school, on television, or on social media can increase the risk.
- Self-harm that occurs frequently and using different methods is a predictor of the repetition of these behaviors throughout the following year after they have begun.
PERSONALITY TRAITS AS A RISK FACTOR
Part of these variables are dysfunctional personality traits and, specifically, unstable personalities, with high emotional reactivity, with a tendency towards impulsive behaviors or to develop excessively subjective or egocentric points of view, etc.
Dysfunctional personality traits, in general, refer to an enduring pattern of internal experience and behavior that deviates markedly from cultural expectations for the individual. This pattern manifests in the areas of cognition, affect, interpersonal functioning, and impulse control.
In adolescence, personality problems can be difficult to diagnose and professional clinical intervention may be necessary, as personality is still forming and structuring during this period. Furthermore, the crises typical of adolescence can lead to non-pathological personality changes that may be mistaken for dysfunctional (pathological) traits.
¿Cuándo y cómo pedir ayuda cuando se producen conductas autolesivas?
GENDER DIFFERENCES
Traditionally, self-harm has been considered primarily a female phenomenon. Many studies on prevalence and incidence support this view. However, recent studies also qualify the data from older research, and some investigations indicate smaller differences in incidence based on sex and gender.
One widely demonstrated aspect is the use of different methods by boys and girls when committing non-suicidal self-harm. While girls are more prone to cutting, scratching, and actions that cause bleeding, boys are more prone to hitting and burning themselves.
RESILIENCE, A PROTECTIVE FACTOR
The protective factors for self-harm are the same as those for any emotional disorder or problem, and are related to people's abilities or skills to cope with negative or stressful life events without developing dysfunctional or pathological behaviors.
In this sense, we speak of resilience as the capacity to cope with negative life events (Dray et al., 2017). It has also been defined as a person's ability to adapt to difficult situations and persevere in the face of adversity, or as the capacity to recover after a traumatic or stressful event (Norris et al., 2009). The development of resilience during adolescence (between 12 and 18 years of age) is considered an effective coping mechanism for some of the mental disorders prevalent in today's society.
Educar a niños resilientes
Evidence indicates that not all adolescents who experience adverse situations develop mental health problems. Some studies have shown that the key seems to lie in resilience, which is fundamental to recovery from trauma and adverse events (Rutter, 2013). This capacity for recovery can act as a protective factor against the development of mental disorders and, consequently, its absence could be a risk factor for a range of clinical pathologies (Srivastava et al., 2019).
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