Non-Suicidal Self-Injury and Adolescents Attachment with Peers and Mother: The Mediating Role of Identity Synthesis and Confusion

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is highly prevalent in adolescents. Secure attachment with family and peers can reduce vulnerability to NSSI and can optimize the outcomes of developmental challenges such as identity formation. Problems experienced in these developmental processes and contexts can in...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of child and family studies 2016-06, Vol.25 (6), p.1735-1745
Main Authors: Gandhi, Amarendra, Claes, Laurence, Bosmans, Guy, Baetens, Imke, Wilderjans, Tom F., Maitra, Shubhada, Kiekens, Glenn, Luyckx, Koen
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescents
Alienation
Attachment
Behavior Disorders
Behavioral Science and Psychology
Behavioral Sciences
Caregivers
Child and School Psychology
Confusion
Developmental delays
Developmental processes
Emotional Problems
Family Environment
Family Involvement
Friendship
High School Students
Identity
Identity formation
Individual Differences
Injuries
Longitudinal Studies
Mediation
Mental Health
Mothers
Original Paper
Parent-child relations
Parents
Peer Relationship
Peer relationships
Psychology
Resistance (Psychology)
Roles
Self Actualization
Self destructive behavior
Self injury
Self report
Social Sciences
Sociology
Suicides & suicide attempts
Teenagers
Vulnerability
Young Children
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is highly prevalent in adolescents. Secure attachment with family and peers can reduce vulnerability to NSSI and can optimize the outcomes of developmental challenges such as identity formation. Problems experienced in these developmental processes and contexts can increase vulnerability to NSSI. Hence, the present study examined associations between attachment with mother and peers, identity formation, and NSSI, using self-report questionnaires in 528 high school students (Mean age = 15.0 years, SD  = 1.84, 11–19 years, 50.4 % females). The lifetime prevalence of NSSI was found to be 14.2 %. Mediation analyses indicated that peer trust had a significant negative indirect effect on NSSI via identity synthesis and confusion. The positive association between peer alienation and NSSI was partially mediated by a lack of identity synthesis. Further, the pathways from maternal trust and alienation to NSSI were fully mediated by both identity confusion and synthesis. Clinical implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.
ISSN:1062-1024
1573-2843
DOI:10.1007/s10826-015-0350-0