Complex evaluation of non-suicidal self-injury – Hungarian adaptation of the Self-Injury Questionnaire–Treatment Related (SIQ-TR)

Abstract

Background: Non-suicidal self-injury (e.g., deliberate cutting, bruising, biting of the own body) is an increasing behavioral and health problem among adolescents. Several measurements published for the evaluation of self-harm, but only few questionnaires exist, which can capture the phenomenon in its complexity. Aims: Our current study aims to introduce the Self-Injury Questionnaire–Treatment Related (SIQ-TR) into the Hungarian test system, which can assess different forms of deliberate self-harm in several aspects (e.g., affective antecedents and consequences or functions of self-harm). Methods: Psychometric properties of the Hungarian version of the SIQ-TR were evaluated in a special population, among juvenile delinquents (N = 244; 92.6% was boy; Mage = 16.99 years, SD = 1.28 years). In association with self-harm we measured negative life events (Adolescent Life Event Questionnaire), as well as avoidance-focused emotion regulation processes (Avoidance and Fusion Questionnaire for Youth; Adolescent Dissociative Experience Scale). Results: Twenty-six percent (26.2%) of the juvenile delinquents reported current self-harm behavior in the past month. Of those who reported self-harm, 34.4% (N = 84) had been involved with NSSI prior to the past month, whereas 39.3% (N = 96) had never previously engaged in self-harm. According to our results, the highest attention to the self-harm process and to wound care, as well as the most negative emotions are associated to scratching and biting. Furthermore, these two types of self-harm behavior have dominantly the function of reducing negative emotional states. Among juvenile delinquents current and past self-injurers experienced significantly more stressful life events during the past six months compared with adolescents who have never self-harmed (F(2) = 9.16, p < 0.0001). Moreover, current self-injurers can be featured with the highest dissociation (F(2) = 7.82, p = 0.001) and cognitive inflexibility levels (F(2) = 6.58, p = 0.002). Conclusions: Hungarian version of the SIQ-TR is an effective measure to investigate in the complexity of non-suicidal self-injury behaviors. In this context, the measurement could establish targeted therapeutic interventions.