[Skip to Navigation]
Sign In
Figure 1.  Flow Diagram of the Study Selection Process
Flow Diagram of the Study Selection Process

aEight hundred fifty-three from MEDLINE, 221 from APA PsycINFO.

bExcluded due to limited relevance (eg, only reported on NSSI in individuals with 1 specific diagnosis or characteristic).

Figure 2.  Geographical Distribution of Included Community Samples, Separated by Continent
Geographical Distribution of Included Community Samples, Separated by Continent

Number in box indicates No. of studies from each region.

aTurkey is part of both Europe and Asia. For the purposes of this study, Turkey was included as a country in Asia.

Figure 3.  Forest Plot Depicting Odds Ratio (OR; Effect Size) for Nonsuicidal Self-Injury in Female Adolescents as Compared With Male Adolescents for All Included Community Studies
Forest Plot Depicting Odds Ratio (OR; Effect Size) for Nonsuicidal Self-Injury in Female Adolescents as Compared With Male Adolescents for All Included Community Studies

Total row indicates overall effect size with CI (bold) and prediction interval (interval within which future value will fall).

Figure 4.  Pooled Prevalence of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury (NSSI) by Gender and Region (Community Samples Only)
Pooled Prevalence of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury (NSSI) by Gender and Region (Community Samples Only)

Error bars denote SE.

1.
Swannell  SV, Martin  GE, Page  A, Hasking  P, St John  NJ.  Prevalence of nonsuicidal self-injury in nonclinical samples: systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression.   Suicide Life Threat Behav. 2014;44(3):273-303. doi:10.1111/sltb.12070PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
2.
Gillies  D, Christou  MA, Dixon  AC,  et al.  Prevalence and characteristics of self-harm in adolescents: meta-analyses of community-based studies 1990-2015.   J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2018;57(10):733-741. doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2018.06.018PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
3.
Steinhoff  A, Ribeaud  D, Kupferschmid  S,  et al.  Self-injury from early adolescence to early adulthood: age-related course, recurrence, and services use in males and females from the community.   Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2021;30(6):937-951. doi:10.1007/s00787-020-01573-wPubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
4.
Albores-Gallo  L, Méndez-Santos  JL, Xóchitl-García Luna  A, Delgadillo-González  Y, Chávez-Flores  CI, Martínez  OL.  Nonsuicidal self-injury in a community sample of older children and adolescents of Mexico City.   Actas Esp Psiquiatr. 2014;42(4):159-168.PubMedGoogle Scholar
5.
You  J, Leung  F, Fu  K, Lai  CM.  The prevalence of nonsuicidal self-injury and different subgroups of self-injurers in Chinese adolescents.   Arch Suicide Res. 2011;15(1):75-86. doi:10.1080/13811118.2011.540211PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
6.
Muehlenkamp  JJ, Claes  L, Havertape  L, Plener  PL.  International prevalence of adolescent non-suicidal self-injury and deliberate self-harm.   Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health. 2012;6(1):10. doi:10.1186/1753-2000-6-10PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
7.
Kapur  N, Cooper  J, O’Connor  RC, Hawton  K.  Non-suicidal self-injury v. attempted suicide: new diagnosis or false dichotomy?   Br J Psychiatry. 2013;202(5):326-328. doi:10.1192/bjp.bp.112.116111PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
8.
Rhodes  AE, Sinyor  M, Boyle  MH,  et al.  Emergency department presentations and youth suicide: a case-control study.   Can J Psychiatry. 2019;64(2):88-97. doi:10.1177/0706743718802799PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
9.
Whitlock  J, Knox  KL.  The relationship between self-injurious behavior and suicide in a young adult population.   Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2007;161(7):634-640. doi:10.1001/archpedi.161.7.634PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
10.
Klonsky  ED, May  AM, Glenn  CR.  The relationship between nonsuicidal self-injury and attempted suicide: converging evidence from four samples.   J Abnorm Psychol. 2013;122(1):231-237. doi:10.1037/a0030278PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
11.
Asarnow  JR, Porta  G, Spirito  A,  et al.  Suicide attempts and nonsuicidal self-injury in the treatment of resistant depression in adolescents: findings from the TORDIA study.   J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2011;50(8):772-781. doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2011.04.003PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
12.
Wilkinson  P, Kelvin  R, Roberts  C, Dubicka  B, Goodyer  I.  Clinical and psychosocial predictors of suicide attempts and nonsuicidal self-injury in the Adolescent Depression Antidepressants and Psychotherapy Trial (ADAPT).   Am J Psychiatry. 2011;168(5):495-501. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2010.10050718PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
13.
Zetterqvist  M, Lundh  LG, Dahlström  O, Svedin  CG.  Prevalence and function of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in a community sample of adolescents, using suggested DSM-5 criteria for a potential NSSI disorder.   J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2013;41(5):759-773. doi:10.1007/s10802-013-9712-5PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
14.
Sornberger  MJ, Heath  NL, Toste  JR, McLouth  R.  Nonsuicidal self-injury and gender: patterns of prevalence, methods, and locations among adolescents.   Suicide Life Threat Behav. 2012;42(3):266-278. doi:10.1111/j.1943-278X.2012.0088.xPubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
15.
Sevecke  K, Bock  A, Fenzel  L, Gander  M, Fuchs  M.  Nonsuicidal self-injury in a naturalistic sample of adolescents undergoing inpatient psychiatric treatment: prevalence, gender distribution and comorbidities.   Psychiatr Danub. 2017;29(4):522-528. doi:10.24869/psyd.2017.522PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
16.
Posporelis  S, Paspali  A, Takayanagi  Y, Sawa  A, Banerjea  P, Kyriakopoulos  M.  Demographic and clinical correlates of suicidality in adolescents attending a specialist community mental health service: a naturalistic study.   J Ment Health. 2015;24(4):225-229. doi:10.3109/09638237.2015.1022249PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
17.
Barrocas  AL, Hankin  BL, Young  JF, Abela  JRZ.  Rates of nonsuicidal self-injury in youth: age, sex, and behavioral methods in a community sample.   Pediatrics. 2012;130(1):39-45. doi:10.1542/peds.2011-2094PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
18.
Howe-Martin  LS, Murrell  AR, Guarnaccia  CA.  Repetitive nonsuicidal self-injury as experiential avoidance among a community sample of adolescents.   J Clin Psychol. 2012;68(7):809-829. doi:10.1002/jclp.21868PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
19.
You  J, Leung  F, Fu  K.  Exploring the reciprocal relations between nonsuicidal self-injury, negative emotions and relationship problems in Chinese adolescents: a longitudinal cross-lag study.   J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2012;40(5):829-836. doi:10.1007/s10802-011-9597-0PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
20.
Tang  J, Ma  Y, Lewis  SP,  et al.  Association of internet addiction with nonsuicidal self-injury among adolescents in China.   JAMA Netw Open. 2020;3(6):e206863. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.6863PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
21.
Monto  MA, McRee  N, Deryck  FS.  Nonsuicidal self-injury among a representative sample of US adolescents, 2015.   Am J Public Health. 2018;108(8):1042-1048. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2018.304470PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
22.
Kang  N, Jiang  Y, Ren  Y,  et al.  Distress intolerance mediates the relationship between child maltreatment and nonsuicidal self-injury among Chinese adolescents: a three-wave longitudinal study.   J Youth Adolesc. 2018;47(10):2220-2230. doi:10.1007/s10964-018-0877-7PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
23.
Cwik  MF, Rosenstock  S, Tingey  L,  et al.  Characteristics of substance abuse and self-injury among American Indian adolescents who have engaged in binge drinking.   Am Indian Alsk Native Ment Health Res. 2018;25(2):1-19. doi:10.5820/aian.2502.2018.1PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
24.
Ren  Y, Lin  MP, Liu  YH,  et al.  The mediating role of coping strategy in the association between family functioning and nonsuicidal self-injury among Taiwanese adolescents.   J Clin Psychol. 2018;74(7):1246-1257. doi:10.1002/jclp.22587PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
25.
DeCamp  W, Bakken  NW.  Self-injury, suicide ideation, and sexual orientation: differences in causes and correlates among high school students.   J Inj Violence Res. 2016;8(1):15-24. doi:10.5249/jivr.v8i1.545PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
26.
Tseng  FY, Yang  HJ.  Internet use and web communication networks, sources of social support, and forms of suicidal and nonsuicidal self-injury among adolescents: different patterns between genders.   Suicide Life Threat Behav. 2015;45(2):178-191. doi:10.1111/sltb.12124PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
27.
Chang  SS, Chen  YY, Heron  J, Kidger  J, Lewis  G, Gunnell  D.  IQ and adolescent self-harm behaviours in the ALSPAC birth cohort.   J Affect Disord. 2014;152-154:175-182. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2013.09.005PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
28.
Prinstein  MJ, Heilbron  N, Guerry  JD,  et al.  Peer influence and nonsuicidal self injury: longitudinal results in community and clinically-referred adolescent samples.   J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2010;38(5):669-682. doi:10.1007/s10802-010-9423-0PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
29.
Isohookana  R, Riala  K, Hakko  H, Räsänen  P.  Adverse childhood experiences and suicidal behavior of adolescent psychiatric inpatients.   Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2013;22(1):13-22. doi:10.1007/s00787-012-0311-8PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
30.
Bakken  NW, Gunter  WD.  Self-cutting and suicidal ideation among adolescents: gender differences in the causes and correlates of self-injury.   Deviant Behav. 2012;33:339-356. doi:10.1080/01639625.2011.584054Google ScholarCrossref
31.
Gandhi  A, Luyckx  K, Maitra  S, Claes  L.  Non-suicidal self-injury and identity distress in Flemish adolescents: exploring gender differences and mediational pathways.   Pers Individ Dif. 2015;82:215-220. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2015.03.031Google ScholarCrossref
32.
Xavier  A, Cunha  M, Pinto-Gouveia  J.  Daily peer hassles and non-suicidal self-injury in adolescence: gender differences in avoidance-focused emotion regulation processes.   J Child Fam Stud. 2018;27(1):59-68. doi:10.1007/s10826-017-0871-9Google ScholarCrossref
33.
Laye-Gindhu  A, Schonert-Reichl  KA.  Nonsuicidal self-harm among community adolescents: understanding the “whats” and “whys” of self-harm.   J Youth Adolesc. 2005;34(5):447-457. doi:10.1007/s10964-005-7262-zGoogle ScholarCrossref
34.
Salmon  S, Garcés Dávila  I, Taillieu  TL,  et al.  Adolescent health outcomes: associations with child maltreatment and peer victimization.   BMC Public Health. 2022;22(1):905. doi:10.1186/s12889-022-13310-wPubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
35.
Jeong  JY, Kim  DH.  Gender differences in the prevalence of and factors related to non-suicidal self-injury among middle and high school students in South Korea.   Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(11):5965. doi:10.3390/ijerph18115965PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
36.
Taliaferro  LA, Muehlenkamp  JJ.  Risk and protective factors that distinguish adolescents who attempt suicide from those who only consider suicide in the past year.   Suicide Life Threat Behav. 2014;44(1):6-22. doi:10.1111/sltb.12046PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
37.
Wan  YH, Xu  SJ, Chen  J, Hu  CL, Tao  FB.  Longitudinal effects of psychological symptoms on non-suicidal self-injury: a difference between adolescents and young adults in China.   Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2015;50(2):237-247. doi:10.1007/s00127-014-0917-xPubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
38.
Xin  M, Yang  X, Liu  K, Naz Boke  B, Bastien  L.  Impact of negative life events and social support on nonsuicidal self-injury among chinese middle school students.   Am J Mens Health. 2020;14(4):1557988320937124. Published online July 23, 2020. doi:10.1177/1557988320937124PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
39.
Liu  RT, Walsh  RFL, Sheehan  AE, Cheek  SM, Sanzari  CM.  Prevalence and correlates of suicide and nonsuicidal self-injury in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis.   JAMA Psychiatry. 2022;79(7):718-726. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2022.1256PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
40.
Oktan  V.  A characterization of self-injurious behavior among Turkish adolescents.   Psychol Rep. 2014;115(3):645-654. doi:10.2466/16.02.PR0.115c25z5PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
41.
Hanania  JW, Heath  NL, Emery  AA, Toste  JR, Daoud  FA.  Non-suicidal self-injury among adolescents in Amman, Jordan.   Arch Suicide Res. 2015;19(2):260-274. doi:10.1080/13811118.2014.915778PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
42.
Wan  Y, Chen  R, Ma  S,  et al.  Associations of adverse childhood experiences and social support with self-injurious behaviour and suicidality in adolescents.   Br J Psychiatry. 2019;214(3):146-152. doi:10.1192/bjp.2018.263PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
43.
Lee  JY, Kim  H, Kim  SY, Kim  JM, Shin  IS, Kim  SW.  Non-suicidal self-injury is associated with psychotic like experiences, depression, and bullying in Korean adolescents.   Early Interv Psychiatry. 2021;15(6):1696-1704. doi:10.1111/eip.13115PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
44.
Poudel  A, Lamichhane  A, Magar  KR, Khanal  GP.  Non suicidal self injury and suicidal behavior among adolescents: co-occurrence and associated risk factors.   BMC Psychiatry. 2022;22(1):96. doi:10.1186/s12888-022-03763-zPubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
45.
Wan  Y, Chen  R, Wang  S,  et al.  Associations of coping styles with nonsuicidal self-injury in adolescents: do they vary with gender and adverse childhood experiences?   Child Abuse Negl. 2020;104:104470. doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2020.104470PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
46.
Cipriano  A, Cella  S, Cotrufo  P.  Nonsuicidal self-injury: a systematic review.   Front Psychol. 2017;8:1946. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01946PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
47.
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Injury prevention and control: WISQARS - web-based injury statistics query reporting system. 2020. Accessed May 8, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars
48.
Gardner  W, Pajer  K, Cloutier  P,  et al.  Changing rates of self-harm and mental disorders by sex in youths presenting to Ontario emergency departments: repeated cross-sectional study.   Can J Psychiatry. 2019;64(11):789-797. doi:10.1177/0706743719854070PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
49.
Page  MJ, McKenzie  JE, Bossuyt  PM,  et al.  The PRISMA 2020 statement: an updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews.   BMJ. 2021;372(71):n71. doi:10.1136/bmj.n71PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
50.
Gratz  KL.  Measurement of deliberate self-harm: preliminary data on the Deliberate Self-Harm Inventory.   J Psychopathol Behav Assess. 2001;23:253-263. doi:10.1023/A:1012779403943Google ScholarCrossref
51.
Joanna Briggs Institute. Critical appraisal checklist for analytical cross sectional studies. 2020. Accessed May 8, 2024. https://jbi.global/sites/default/files/2019-05/JBI_Critical_Appraisal-Checklist_for_Analytical_Cross_Sectional_Studies2017_0.pdf
52.
Joanna Briggs Institute. Critical appraisal checklist for cohort studies. 2020. Accessed May 8, 2024. https://jbi.global/sites/default/files/2019-05/JBI_Critical_Appraisal-Checklist_for_Cohort_Studies2017_0.pdf
53.
Suurmond  R, van Rhee  H, Hak  T.  Introduction, comparison, and validation of Meta-Essentials: a free and simple tool for meta-analysis.   Res Synth Methods. 2017;8(4):537-553. doi:10.1002/jrsm.1260PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
54.
Taliaferro  LA, Muehlenkamp  JJ.  Factors associated with current versus lifetime self-injury among high school and college students.   Suicide Life Threat Behav. 2015;45(1):84-97. doi:10.1111/sltb.12117PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
55.
Larsson  B, Sund  AM.  Prevalence, course, incidence, and 1-year prediction of deliberate self-harm and suicide attempts in early Norwegian school adolescents.   Suicide Life Threat Behav. 2008;38(2):152-165. doi:10.1521/suli.2008.38.2.152PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
56.
Martin  G, Bergen  HA, Richardson  AS, Roeger  L, Allison  S.  Sexual abuse and suicidality: gender differences in a large community sample of adolescents.   Child Abuse Negl. 2004;28(5):491-503. doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2003.08.006PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
57.
Baetens  I, Claes  L, Muehlenkamp  J, Grietens  H, Onghena  P.  Non-suicidal and suicidal self-injurious behavior among Flemish adolescents: a web-survey.   Arch Suicide Res. 2011;15(1):56-67. doi:10.1080/13811118.2011.540467PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
58.
Wilkinson  PO, Qiu  T, Jesmont  C,  et al.  Age and gender effects on non-suicidal self-injury, and their interplay with psychological distress.   J Affect Disord. 2022;306:240-245. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2022.03.021PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
59.
Stewart  SL, Baiden  P, Theall-Honey  L.  Examining non-suicidal self-injury among adolescents with mental health needs, in Ontario, Canada.   Arch Suicide Res. 2014;18(4):392-409.PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
60.
Chen  H, Cohen  P, Chen  S.  How big is a big odds ratio? interpreting the magnitudes of odds ratios in epidemiological studies.   Commun Stat Simul Comput. 2010;39(4):860-864. doi:10.1080/03610911003650383Google ScholarCrossref
61.
Van Droogenbroeck  F, Spruyt  B, Keppens  G.  Gender differences in mental health problems among adolescents and the role of social support: results from the Belgian health interview surveys 2008 and 2013.   BMC Psychiatry. 2018;18(1):6. doi:10.1186/s12888-018-1591-4PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
62.
Gutman  LM, Codiroli McMaster  N.  Gendered pathways of internalizing problems from early childhood to adolescence and associated adolescent outcomes.   J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2020;48(5):703-718. doi:10.1007/s10802-020-00623-wPubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
63.
Trewavas  C, Hasking  P, McAllister  M.  Representations of non-suicidal self-injury in motion pictures.   Arch Suicide Res. 2010;14(1):89-103. doi:10.1080/13811110903479110PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
64.
Jamieson  PE, Romer  D.  Trends in explicit portrayal of suicidal behavior in popular U.S. movies, 1950-2006.   Arch Suicide Res. 2011;15(3):277-289. doi:10.1080/13811118.2011.589748PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
65.
Canetto  SS, Sakinofsky  I.  The gender paradox in suicide.   Suicide Life Threat Behav. 1998;28(1):1-23. doi:10.1111/j.1943-278X.1998.tb00622.xPubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
66.
Chen  YY, Wu  KC, Yousuf  S, Yip  PSF.  Suicide in Asia: opportunities and challenges.   Epidemiol Rev. 2012;34(1):129-144. doi:10.1093/epirev/mxr025PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
67.
Wasserman  D, Cheng  Q, Jiang  GX.  Global suicide rates among young people aged 15-19.   World Psychiatry. 2005;4(2):114-120.PubMedGoogle Scholar
68.
Snowdon  J.  Differences between patterns of suicide in East Asia and the West. The importance of sociocultural factors.   Asian J Psychiatr. 2018;37:106-111. doi:10.1016/j.ajp.2018.08.019PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
69.
Whitlock  J, Knox  KL. Intervention and Prevention in the Community. In: Nixon  MK, Heath  NL, eds.  Self-Injury in Youth: The Essential Guide to Assessment and Intervention. 1st ed. Routledge; 2008:368.
70.
Chang  SS, Steeg  S, Kapur  N, Webb  RT, Yip  PS, Cooper  J.  Self-harm amongst people of Chinese origin versus White people living in England: a cohort study.   BMC Psychiatry. 2015;15(1):79. doi:10.1186/s12888-015-0467-0PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
71.
Gholamrezaei  M, De Stefano  J, Heath  NL.  Nonsuicidal self-injury across cultures and ethnic and racial minorities: a review.   Int J Psychol. 2017;52(4):316-326. doi:10.1002/ijop.12230PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
72.
Aggarwal  S, Borschmann  R, Patton  GC.  Tackling stigma in self-harm and suicide in the young.   Lancet Public Health. 2021;6(1):e6-e7. doi:10.1016/S2468-2667(20)30259-0PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
73.
Veale  JF, Watson  RJ, Peter  T, Saewyc  EM.  Mental health disparities among canadian transgender youth.   J Adolesc Health. 2017;60(1):44-49. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2016.09.014PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
Original Investigation
Psychiatry
June 14, 2024

Sex Differences in the Global Prevalence of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury in Adolescents: A Meta-Analysis

Author Affiliations
  • 1Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
  • 2Department of Psychiatry, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7(6):e2415436. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.15436
Key Points

Question  Does the prevalence of nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) among female adolescents and male adolescents vary by geography?

Findings  This meta-analysis of 38 studies with 266 491 participants found that NSSI was twice as prevalent among female adolescents vs male adolescents in North America and Europe, but not in Asia. The study also found a higher prevalence of NSSI among male adolescents in Asia compared with other regions.

Meaning  It is important to understand why NSSI may be more prevalent among female adolescents compared with male adolescents in some regions, but not in others, to effectively prevent and treat the behavior among all adolescents.

Abstract

Importance  Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a strong predictor of suicide attempts. The prevalence of NSSI has been increasing among female adolescents in North America and Europe, but less is known about trends in other geographical regions.

Objective  To examine sex differences in the prevalence of NSSI among adolescents within and between geographical regions.

Data Sources  MEDLINE and PsycINFO were searched using the keywords adolescents, self-injury, sex factors, and synonyms for articles published in English between January 1, 2000, and May 10, 2022.

Study Selection  Studies were included if they presented original data (any study design), included adolescents aged 10 to 19 years, reported results stratified by sex, and explicitly defined self-injury as behaviors occurring without suicidal intent.

Data Extraction and Synthesis  This meta-analysis was registered with PROSPERO and conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. Articles were assessed for quality by 2 independent coders (F.M. and J.A.). A random-effects model was used to calculate prevalence. Data were analyzed from July 2022 to April 2023.

Main Outcomes and Measures  The prevalence of NSSI in male and female adolescents within and between regions was the main outcome. Odds ratios (OR) with 95% CIs were calculated for community samples.

Results  Eight hundred and two studies were screened, and 38 were included (266 491 participants). Across 17 countries, the pooled prevalence of NSSI was 17.7% (female:male OR, 1.60; 95% CI, 1.29-1.98). NSSI was twice as prevalent among female adolescents compared with male adolescents in North America (OR, 2.49; 95% CI, 2.16-2.86) and Europe (OR, 2.08; 95% CI, 1.69-2.58), but not in Asia (OR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.71-1.41).

Conclusions and Relevance  In this meta-analysis of sex differences in global prevalence of NSSI, the female predominance of NSSI observed among adolescents in North America and Europe aligned with rising rates of suicide in these populations. The comparable prevalence of NSSI among male and female adolescents in Asia also aligned with the lower male-to-female suicide ratio compared with other countries. More research is needed to characterize regional (and potentially cultural) sex differences among adolescents with NSSI to prevent and treat the behavior and to understand the possible interplay with corresponding regional trends in suicide.

Introduction

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is defined as “the deliberate, self-inflicted destruction of body tissue resulting in immediate damage, without suicidal intent and for purposes not culturally sanctioned.”1 The mean age of onset for NSSI is approximately 13 years,2 and the behavior is common among adolescents,3-5 with global prevalence estimates between 18% and 23%.1,2,6 Historically, there has been debate on the validity, and therefore merit, of distinguishing suicide-related behavior as with or without suicidal intent.7 However, it is now generally understood that any self-harm or self-injurious behavior among adolescents, regardless of suicidal intent (and including NSSI), is a robust predictor of death by suicide.8-12 Moreover, NSSI as a phenotype has been studied among youths across the world,2 and knowledge of this behavior in a global context is especially important because of the associated risk of suicide.

NSSI is often reported as more prevalent in female vs male adolescents,3-5,13-36 although some studies report no sex difference1,37,38 or higher prevalence among male adolescents.39-45 In North America, the rates of NSSI are rising among all adolescents,46 but disproportionately among younger female adolescents.47,48 There is also preliminary evidence to suggest that the prevalence of NSSI among adolescents differs by sex across geographic regions.38 To date, studies reporting prevalence of NSSI among adolescents tend to present the findings disaggregated by sex; however, a systematic approach is needed to evaluate and quantify the geographic variability in the prevalence of NSSI among female vs male adolescents worldwide. This information is essential to develop sex-, regional-, and potentially culture-specific interventions for NSSI among adolescents across the globe that can ultimately mitigate the risk of suicide in these populations. Therefore, the objective of this study is to examine sex differences in the global and regional prevalence of NSSI among adolescents (henceforth defined as those aged 10 to 19 years).

Methods

A systematic review of the literature on sex differences in the prevalence of adolescents with NSSI was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) reporting guideline.49 The protocol for this review was registered with the international prospective register of systematic reviews before data extraction and analysis (CRD42022347504). This protocol describes a systematic review that provided data for 2 studies: the current meta-analysis and a separate systematic review of sex differences in the clinical correlates of NSSI among adolescents.

Search Strategy

We searched MEDLINE and APA PsycINFO with the terms adolescents, self-injury, sex factors, and synonyms in May 2022. A complete search strategy can be found in the eMethods in Supplement 1.

Inclusion Criteria

Studies were included if they were published in English and reported on NSSI in female and male adolescents aged 10 to 19 years. Studies were only included if they reported original data and explicitly defined self-harm as not having suicidal intent. Given the paucity of research on sex differences in NSSI, studies were not excluded on the basis of study design. Similarly, studies were included regardless of whether they defined a specific period during which the NSSI occurred (eg, recent or lifetime occurrence). The reference lists of included articles were also reviewed for relevant citations.

Exclusion Criteria

Studies were preliminarily excluded if the data for adolescents were not reported separately from other age groups, if they did not clearly differentiate self-injury based on suicidal intent, or if they did not report on prevalence in female and male adolescents separately. Articles were also excluded if they had limited relevance to the topic of this meta-analysis, including only reporting on NSSI in individuals with a specific diagnosis or characteristic. Grey literature and conference abstracts were also excluded. Articles published before January 2000 were excluded, as the early 2000s marked a turning point in research in the area, in part due to the creation of the first validated measure for what was then called deliberate self-harm (including NSSI).50 Lastly, all eligible articles were quality assessed by 2 independent reviewers (F.M. and J.A.) using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist for Cross-Sectional Studies51 or the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist for Cohort Studies.52 Articles were excluded if they received less than 4 on their respective checklists. The article selection process is shown in Figure 1.

Article Selection Process

Articles were screened by title and abstract by 2 independent unblinded reviewers (F.M. and R.H.B.M.). Full-text reports were reviewed for study eligibility by the same reviewers. Discrepancies were resolved by consensus.

Data Collection

Data were recorded for the following categories: (1) author(s); (2) year of publication; (3) country of origin (where the study was published or conducted); (4) aims or purpose; (5) population and sample size; (6) methods. For characteristics of studies included, please refer to eTable 1 in Supplement 1. Geographical regions were defined by continent.

Statistical Analysis

Prevalence data were extracted and quantitatively pooled. Random-effects meta-analysis was conducted using Meta-Essentials version 1.5 for Microsoft Excel (Erasmus Research Institute of Management).53 A random-effects model was chosen given the high expected heterogeneity of included studies. Odds ratios (OR) were used as the indicator of effect size. The weighting method used was inverse variance. ORs were calculated for community samples only, as clinical samples are less generalizable to the overall population. Post hoc analyses were conducted using 2-way analyses of variance (ANOVAs) to assess regional variation of NSSI prevalence within sex.

Heterogeneity was assessed using the I2 statistic. For analyses with an I2 greater than 75%, which generally indicates that a large proportion of variability can be accounted for by heterogeneity between studies, moderator analyses were conducted. Moderator analyses were run for year of publication (mean-centered on 2015), survey time period (lifetime NSSI vs past month to 5 years), and geographical region (Europe vs Asia and North America and Asia vs Europe and North America) separately using regression analyses to attempt to determine sources of heterogeneity. These moderators were chosen given that trends in suicide-related behavior change over time, that studies looking only at recent NSSI may show different characteristics than those looking at lifetime occurrences, and that certain regions may show greater differences in reporting and analyzing NSSI than others, respectively. Presence of publication bias was assessed with visual inspection of funnel plots and Egger regression. The threshold for statistical significance was P = .05, using 2-sided tests for statistical analyses. Data were analyzed from July 2022 to April 2023.

Results

Thirty-eight articles met inclusion criteria comprising a total of 266 491 participants across 17 countries. Of the unique samples, 34 were community samples3-5,13,14,17,18,20-27,30-35,37,38,40-45,54-58 and 4 were clinical.16,28,29,59 The regional breakdown of community samples consisted of 11 from North America (1 from Mexico, 2 from Canada, and 8 from the US), 14 from Asia (1 from Jordan, 1 from Turkey, 7 from China, 2 from Taiwan, 2 from South Korea, and 1 from Nepal), 8 from Europe (1 from Switzerland, 1 from Sweden, 2 from Belgium, 2 from UK, 1 from Norway, and 1 from Portugal), and 1 from Australia (Figure 2). The mean (range) quality index score for cross-sectional studies was 6.3 (4-8) and for cohort studies was 9.0 (8-10).

Prevalence

The pooled prevalence of NSSI by sex (38 studies, 266 491 participants) was 21.4% for female adolescents (29 161 participants; 95% CI, 21.2%-21.7%) and 13.7% for male adolescents (17 907 participants; 95% CI, 13.5%-13.9%). Across 17 countries, the pooled prevalence of NSSI in community samples was 17.6% (95% CI, 17.5%-17.7%). The pooled prevalence in community samples (34 studies; 263 678 participants) was 21.3% (95% CI, 21.1%-21.5%) for female adolescents and 13.7% (95% CI, 13.5%-13.9%) for male adolescents. The pooled prevalence in clinical samples (4 studies; 2813 participants) was 34.9% (95% CI, 32.3%-37.4%) for female adolescents and 13.6% (95% CI, 11.8%-15.2%) for male adolescents. The female-to-male OR for community prevalence of NSSI was 1.60 (95% CI, 1.29%-1.98) (Figure 3).

There was substantial heterogeneity (Q = 2147; P < .001; I2 = 98.46%); as such, moderator analyses were completed. A more recent publication year (as compared with the year 2015) (β = −0.30; 95% CI, −0.06 to −0.04; P < .001) and the geographical region of Asia (vs North America and Europe combined) were associated with a smaller effect size (β = −0.90; 95% CI, −0.98 to −0.89; P < .001), whereas studies assessing lifetime NSSI (vs NSSI within the prior 5 years) were associated with a larger effect size (β = 0.43; 95% CI, 0.43 to 0.52; P < .001). The geographical region of Europe (vs North America and Asia combined) (β = 0.03; 95% CI, −0.02 to 0.18; P = .12) was not significantly associated with effect size. See eFigure 1, eFigure 2, eFigure 3, and eFigure 4 in Supplement 1 for the complete results of the moderator analysis.

Publication bias (see eFigure 5 in Supplement 1) did not reveal any obvious asymmetry on visual inspection, with the exception of 1 outlier. Egger regression was also not statistically significant (t = −1.08; P = .29), indicating that publication bias is unlikely to have significantly affected the findings of this analysis.

Prevalence by Region

The community prevalence of NSSI among adolescents was significantly higher in female adolescents than male adolescents in North America (20.2% and 8.9% respectively; OR, 2.49; 95% CI, 2.16-2.86) and Europe (19.4% and 12.6% respectively; OR, 2.08; 95% CI, 1.69-2.58) (Figure 3). It was also higher in the single Australian sample (18.8% and 16.8%, respectively; OR, 1.15). In contrast, prevalence rates were not significantly different between sexes in Asia (24.1% for female adolescents vs 24.8% for male adolescents; OR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.71-1.41) (Figure 4). All 19 studies in North America or Europe reported higher prevalence of NSSI in female adolescents; however, 8 of 14 studies in Asia reported equal or higher prevalence of NSSI in male adolescents.37,38,40-45

Post hoc analyses using ANOVA did not reveal a regional difference in the prevalence of NSSI among female adolescents (F2,30 = 5.31; P = .01). In contrast, there was some regional variation in the prevalence of NSSI among male adolescents (P = .01), with higher prevalence reported among male adolescents in Asia compared with North America (t17 = 3.15; P = .003) and Europe (t20 = 2.29; P = .02). There was no regional variation in the prevalence of NSSI among male adolescents in Europe as compared with North America (t10 = 0.45; P = .33). ANOVA and t test statistics can be found in eTable 2 in Supplement 1.

Discussion

This meta-analysis summarizes sex differences in the prevalence of NSSI among adolescents around the world. We report a higher prevalence of NSSI among female adolescents compared with male adolescents overall, although considerable regional variation exists. In North America, Europe, and Australia, the prevalence of NSSI was higher among female adolescents; whereas in Asia, the prevalence of NSSI did not significantly differ by sex, and in some samples was higher in male adolescents. There were no regional differences in the prevalence of NSSI in female adolescents; however, male adolescents in Asia had a higher prevalence of NSSI than male adolescents in other regions.

To date, the literature on sex differences in the prevalence of NSSI among adolescents has reported inconsistent results, with some studies recording higher prevalence in female adolescents and others recording no sex difference.1,2 This meta-analysis reports a higher overall prevalence of NSSI among all pooled female adolescents compared with male adolescents, with an OR of 1.60, denoting a moderate effect size.60 This higher prevalence of NSSI among female adolescents builds on findings from a recent meta-analysis2 of 158 samples showing female adolescents report significantly more self-harm than male adolescents, with an OR of 1.72 (ie, moderate effect size), although direct comparisons are not possible as Gillies et al2 use a broader definition of self-harm that does not specify suicidal intent. While the large proportion of Western samples in both meta-analyses likely influences the effect sizes reported, it is nevertheless worth considering if higher rates of NSSI in female adolescents across the globe reflect known sex differences in depressive disorders, internalizing symptoms, and identity disturbance that are more common in female adolescents compared with male adolescents, and if these factors moderate the relationship between NSSI and female sex, regardless of the region of the world.31,61,62

The portrayal of NSSI in the media and the ensuing effects of contagion are also elements likely contributing to the increased prevalence of NSSI among female adolescents across the globe. NSSI is often portrayed through a young female character in psychological distress who uses self-injury as a coping mechanism.63 Given the influential role of media and popular culture in the day-to-day life of adolescents and how media cross-permeates different cultures, it may be that female adolescents who identify with characters who engage in self-injurious behavior are more likely to engage in NSSI regardless of where they live.63,64

Although we found NSSI to be generally more common among female compared with male adolescents, there were some notable geographical exceptions. In Asia, the prevalence of NSSI was either equivalent in female and male adolescents, or the female-to-male ratio was reversed compared with other regions. A parallel trend in Asian populations is suicide rates by sex that are incongruent with the commonly reported gender paradox of suicide—more suicide attempts in female adolescents and more deaths by suicide in male adolescents65—seen in Western countries.66,67 These contrasting findings demonstrate the need to explore regional factors influencing sex differences in the prevalence of all suicide-related behaviors and not solely NSSI.

Notably, post-hoc analyses did not reveal a significant difference in the regional prevalence of NSSI among female adolescents but did reveal a higher prevalence of NSSI among male adolescents in Asia as compared with male adolescents in other regions. Our findings appear to suggest that female adolescents engage in equivalent rates of NSSI regardless of the region, whereas male adolescents in Asia engage in NSSI more often than in other regions. The reasons for this are unclear, and research is lacking, but it may be attributable to different gender roles and/or sociocultural factors in Asia vs Western cultures such as North America, Europe, and Australia.68 For example, Western media presents self-harm as a stereotypically female-gendered behavior69; hence, male adolescents living in these regions of the world may be less socialized than female adolescents to engage in NSSI. Previous research also demonstrates that NSSI may be used more commonly in non-Western countries as an attempt to regulate negative emotion specifically arising from interpersonal conflict, rather than to cope with emotion dysregulation more generally.19,70,71 Why this would be more relevant for male adolescents living in Asia warrants further examination. Lastly, it is possible that regionally rooted sociocultural factors may have affected participants’ willingness to self-report NSSI, depending on the stigma and/or perceived consequences of disclosing NSSI.72 These factors may have influenced underreporting of NSSI in certain groups, thus contributing to the geographical variations of NSSI prevalence by sex reported in this study. Given the regional variation of NSSI in male adolescents, there is a strong argument for further research to elucidate possible reasons for this and to allow for the development of regionally and perhaps culturally specific interventions for the treatment and prevention of NSSI among adolescents.

Limitations

Limitations of this meta-analysis include the significant heterogeneity of study designs and sample characteristics (eg, age ranges) and that not all possible moderators or combinations of moderators could be accounted for. Furthermore, while all studies defined NSSI as self-injurious behavior without suicidal intent, participants were classified into an NSSI group based on varying criteria (eg, past month engagement in NSSI vs lifetime engagement in NSSI vs a certain frequency of NSSI in the past year). At minimum, participants classified as having engaged in NSSI would have done so at least once in their lifetime, but some studies employed more stringent criteria, making it difficult to directly compare findings between studies. It should also be noted that the majority of studies included in this analysis were conducted in upper-middle income and high-income countries across the globe, with limited numbers of samples from certain regions such as Australia and an absence of representation from South America or Africa, and thus these findings may not be able to be extrapolated to countries not represented here. The restriction of our search to English language articles is also a limitation given our focus on geographic variability. Lastly, most studies used participants’ self-reported sex and may not have accounted for cisgender vs transgender identity, limiting our ability to make any conclusions regarding the effect of gender identity vs sex assigned at birth. Given that gender dysphoria is a known risk factor for NSSI and suicide,73 future work in this area, with a focus on sex differences and regional variation, will be of paramount importance.

Conclusions

In summary, this meta-analysis provides the important global and regional estimates of the female-to-male prevalence of NSSI among adolescents. Globally, NSSI was more prevalent among female adolescents than male adolescents, with equivalent prevalence estimates among female adolescents across regions. By contrast, the prevalence of NSSI among male adolescents was higher than that in female adolescents in Asia and male adolescents in other regions. Future research with sex-, region-, and culture-specific lenses will be essential in clarifying how and why NSSI phenotypes differ by sex in different regions. Research in this area will be foundational in developing and evaluating effective interventions for all adolescents engaged in NSSI regardless of location and sex.

Back to top
Article Information

Accepted for Publication: March 20, 2024.

Published: June 14, 2024. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.15436

Open Access: This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the CC-BY License. © 2024 Moloney F et al. JAMA Network Open.

Corresponding Author: Rachel Mitchell, MSc, MD, 2075 Bayview Ave, EG-47, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada ([email protected]).

Author Contributions: Drs Moloney and Mitchell had full access to all of the data in the study and take responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis.

Concept and design: Moloney, Sinyor, Schaffer, Mitchell.

Acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data: Moloney, Amini, Sinyor, Lanctôt, Mitchell.

Drafting of the manuscript: Moloney, Amini, Mitchell.

Critical review of the manuscript for important intellectual content: Amini, Sinyor, Schaffer, Lanctôt, Mitchell.

Statistical analysis: Moloney, Lanctôt, Mitchell.

Administrative, technical, or material support: Moloney, Amini, Lanctôt, Mitchell.

Supervision: Sinyor, Schaffer, Mitchell.

Conflict of Interest Disclosures: Dr Mitchell reported receiving academic scholar awards from the Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, and the Department of Psychiatry, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre; receiving grants from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Alternative Funding Plan Innovation Fund, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Brenda Smith Fund, Sunnybrook Foundation, and the TD Pooler Charitable Trust Fund outside the submitted work. No other disclosures were reported.

Data Sharing Statement: See Supplement 2.

References
1.
Swannell  SV, Martin  GE, Page  A, Hasking  P, St John  NJ.  Prevalence of nonsuicidal self-injury in nonclinical samples: systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression.   Suicide Life Threat Behav. 2014;44(3):273-303. doi:10.1111/sltb.12070PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
2.
Gillies  D, Christou  MA, Dixon  AC,  et al.  Prevalence and characteristics of self-harm in adolescents: meta-analyses of community-based studies 1990-2015.   J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2018;57(10):733-741. doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2018.06.018PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
3.
Steinhoff  A, Ribeaud  D, Kupferschmid  S,  et al.  Self-injury from early adolescence to early adulthood: age-related course, recurrence, and services use in males and females from the community.   Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2021;30(6):937-951. doi:10.1007/s00787-020-01573-wPubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
4.
Albores-Gallo  L, Méndez-Santos  JL, Xóchitl-García Luna  A, Delgadillo-González  Y, Chávez-Flores  CI, Martínez  OL.  Nonsuicidal self-injury in a community sample of older children and adolescents of Mexico City.   Actas Esp Psiquiatr. 2014;42(4):159-168.PubMedGoogle Scholar
5.
You  J, Leung  F, Fu  K, Lai  CM.  The prevalence of nonsuicidal self-injury and different subgroups of self-injurers in Chinese adolescents.   Arch Suicide Res. 2011;15(1):75-86. doi:10.1080/13811118.2011.540211PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
6.
Muehlenkamp  JJ, Claes  L, Havertape  L, Plener  PL.  International prevalence of adolescent non-suicidal self-injury and deliberate self-harm.   Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health. 2012;6(1):10. doi:10.1186/1753-2000-6-10PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
7.
Kapur  N, Cooper  J, O’Connor  RC, Hawton  K.  Non-suicidal self-injury v. attempted suicide: new diagnosis or false dichotomy?   Br J Psychiatry. 2013;202(5):326-328. doi:10.1192/bjp.bp.112.116111PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
8.
Rhodes  AE, Sinyor  M, Boyle  MH,  et al.  Emergency department presentations and youth suicide: a case-control study.   Can J Psychiatry. 2019;64(2):88-97. doi:10.1177/0706743718802799PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
9.
Whitlock  J, Knox  KL.  The relationship between self-injurious behavior and suicide in a young adult population.   Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2007;161(7):634-640. doi:10.1001/archpedi.161.7.634PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
10.
Klonsky  ED, May  AM, Glenn  CR.  The relationship between nonsuicidal self-injury and attempted suicide: converging evidence from four samples.   J Abnorm Psychol. 2013;122(1):231-237. doi:10.1037/a0030278PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
11.
Asarnow  JR, Porta  G, Spirito  A,  et al.  Suicide attempts and nonsuicidal self-injury in the treatment of resistant depression in adolescents: findings from the TORDIA study.   J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2011;50(8):772-781. doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2011.04.003PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
12.
Wilkinson  P, Kelvin  R, Roberts  C, Dubicka  B, Goodyer  I.  Clinical and psychosocial predictors of suicide attempts and nonsuicidal self-injury in the Adolescent Depression Antidepressants and Psychotherapy Trial (ADAPT).   Am J Psychiatry. 2011;168(5):495-501. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2010.10050718PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
13.
Zetterqvist  M, Lundh  LG, Dahlström  O, Svedin  CG.  Prevalence and function of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in a community sample of adolescents, using suggested DSM-5 criteria for a potential NSSI disorder.   J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2013;41(5):759-773. doi:10.1007/s10802-013-9712-5PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
14.
Sornberger  MJ, Heath  NL, Toste  JR, McLouth  R.  Nonsuicidal self-injury and gender: patterns of prevalence, methods, and locations among adolescents.   Suicide Life Threat Behav. 2012;42(3):266-278. doi:10.1111/j.1943-278X.2012.0088.xPubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
15.
Sevecke  K, Bock  A, Fenzel  L, Gander  M, Fuchs  M.  Nonsuicidal self-injury in a naturalistic sample of adolescents undergoing inpatient psychiatric treatment: prevalence, gender distribution and comorbidities.   Psychiatr Danub. 2017;29(4):522-528. doi:10.24869/psyd.2017.522PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
16.
Posporelis  S, Paspali  A, Takayanagi  Y, Sawa  A, Banerjea  P, Kyriakopoulos  M.  Demographic and clinical correlates of suicidality in adolescents attending a specialist community mental health service: a naturalistic study.   J Ment Health. 2015;24(4):225-229. doi:10.3109/09638237.2015.1022249PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
17.
Barrocas  AL, Hankin  BL, Young  JF, Abela  JRZ.  Rates of nonsuicidal self-injury in youth: age, sex, and behavioral methods in a community sample.   Pediatrics. 2012;130(1):39-45. doi:10.1542/peds.2011-2094PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
18.
Howe-Martin  LS, Murrell  AR, Guarnaccia  CA.  Repetitive nonsuicidal self-injury as experiential avoidance among a community sample of adolescents.   J Clin Psychol. 2012;68(7):809-829. doi:10.1002/jclp.21868PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
19.
You  J, Leung  F, Fu  K.  Exploring the reciprocal relations between nonsuicidal self-injury, negative emotions and relationship problems in Chinese adolescents: a longitudinal cross-lag study.   J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2012;40(5):829-836. doi:10.1007/s10802-011-9597-0PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
20.
Tang  J, Ma  Y, Lewis  SP,  et al.  Association of internet addiction with nonsuicidal self-injury among adolescents in China.   JAMA Netw Open. 2020;3(6):e206863. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.6863PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
21.
Monto  MA, McRee  N, Deryck  FS.  Nonsuicidal self-injury among a representative sample of US adolescents, 2015.   Am J Public Health. 2018;108(8):1042-1048. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2018.304470PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
22.
Kang  N, Jiang  Y, Ren  Y,  et al.  Distress intolerance mediates the relationship between child maltreatment and nonsuicidal self-injury among Chinese adolescents: a three-wave longitudinal study.   J Youth Adolesc. 2018;47(10):2220-2230. doi:10.1007/s10964-018-0877-7PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
23.
Cwik  MF, Rosenstock  S, Tingey  L,  et al.  Characteristics of substance abuse and self-injury among American Indian adolescents who have engaged in binge drinking.   Am Indian Alsk Native Ment Health Res. 2018;25(2):1-19. doi:10.5820/aian.2502.2018.1PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
24.
Ren  Y, Lin  MP, Liu  YH,  et al.  The mediating role of coping strategy in the association between family functioning and nonsuicidal self-injury among Taiwanese adolescents.   J Clin Psychol. 2018;74(7):1246-1257. doi:10.1002/jclp.22587PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
25.
DeCamp  W, Bakken  NW.  Self-injury, suicide ideation, and sexual orientation: differences in causes and correlates among high school students.   J Inj Violence Res. 2016;8(1):15-24. doi:10.5249/jivr.v8i1.545PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
26.
Tseng  FY, Yang  HJ.  Internet use and web communication networks, sources of social support, and forms of suicidal and nonsuicidal self-injury among adolescents: different patterns between genders.   Suicide Life Threat Behav. 2015;45(2):178-191. doi:10.1111/sltb.12124PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
27.
Chang  SS, Chen  YY, Heron  J, Kidger  J, Lewis  G, Gunnell  D.  IQ and adolescent self-harm behaviours in the ALSPAC birth cohort.   J Affect Disord. 2014;152-154:175-182. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2013.09.005PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
28.
Prinstein  MJ, Heilbron  N, Guerry  JD,  et al.  Peer influence and nonsuicidal self injury: longitudinal results in community and clinically-referred adolescent samples.   J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2010;38(5):669-682. doi:10.1007/s10802-010-9423-0PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
29.
Isohookana  R, Riala  K, Hakko  H, Räsänen  P.  Adverse childhood experiences and suicidal behavior of adolescent psychiatric inpatients.   Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2013;22(1):13-22. doi:10.1007/s00787-012-0311-8PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
30.
Bakken  NW, Gunter  WD.  Self-cutting and suicidal ideation among adolescents: gender differences in the causes and correlates of self-injury.   Deviant Behav. 2012;33:339-356. doi:10.1080/01639625.2011.584054Google ScholarCrossref
31.
Gandhi  A, Luyckx  K, Maitra  S, Claes  L.  Non-suicidal self-injury and identity distress in Flemish adolescents: exploring gender differences and mediational pathways.   Pers Individ Dif. 2015;82:215-220. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2015.03.031Google ScholarCrossref
32.
Xavier  A, Cunha  M, Pinto-Gouveia  J.  Daily peer hassles and non-suicidal self-injury in adolescence: gender differences in avoidance-focused emotion regulation processes.   J Child Fam Stud. 2018;27(1):59-68. doi:10.1007/s10826-017-0871-9Google ScholarCrossref
33.
Laye-Gindhu  A, Schonert-Reichl  KA.  Nonsuicidal self-harm among community adolescents: understanding the “whats” and “whys” of self-harm.   J Youth Adolesc. 2005;34(5):447-457. doi:10.1007/s10964-005-7262-zGoogle ScholarCrossref
34.
Salmon  S, Garcés Dávila  I, Taillieu  TL,  et al.  Adolescent health outcomes: associations with child maltreatment and peer victimization.   BMC Public Health. 2022;22(1):905. doi:10.1186/s12889-022-13310-wPubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
35.
Jeong  JY, Kim  DH.  Gender differences in the prevalence of and factors related to non-suicidal self-injury among middle and high school students in South Korea.   Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(11):5965. doi:10.3390/ijerph18115965PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
36.
Taliaferro  LA, Muehlenkamp  JJ.  Risk and protective factors that distinguish adolescents who attempt suicide from those who only consider suicide in the past year.   Suicide Life Threat Behav. 2014;44(1):6-22. doi:10.1111/sltb.12046PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
37.
Wan  YH, Xu  SJ, Chen  J, Hu  CL, Tao  FB.  Longitudinal effects of psychological symptoms on non-suicidal self-injury: a difference between adolescents and young adults in China.   Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2015;50(2):237-247. doi:10.1007/s00127-014-0917-xPubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
38.
Xin  M, Yang  X, Liu  K, Naz Boke  B, Bastien  L.  Impact of negative life events and social support on nonsuicidal self-injury among chinese middle school students.   Am J Mens Health. 2020;14(4):1557988320937124. Published online July 23, 2020. doi:10.1177/1557988320937124PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
39.
Liu  RT, Walsh  RFL, Sheehan  AE, Cheek  SM, Sanzari  CM.  Prevalence and correlates of suicide and nonsuicidal self-injury in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis.   JAMA Psychiatry. 2022;79(7):718-726. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2022.1256PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
40.
Oktan  V.  A characterization of self-injurious behavior among Turkish adolescents.   Psychol Rep. 2014;115(3):645-654. doi:10.2466/16.02.PR0.115c25z5PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
41.
Hanania  JW, Heath  NL, Emery  AA, Toste  JR, Daoud  FA.  Non-suicidal self-injury among adolescents in Amman, Jordan.   Arch Suicide Res. 2015;19(2):260-274. doi:10.1080/13811118.2014.915778PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
42.
Wan  Y, Chen  R, Ma  S,  et al.  Associations of adverse childhood experiences and social support with self-injurious behaviour and suicidality in adolescents.   Br J Psychiatry. 2019;214(3):146-152. doi:10.1192/bjp.2018.263PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
43.
Lee  JY, Kim  H, Kim  SY, Kim  JM, Shin  IS, Kim  SW.  Non-suicidal self-injury is associated with psychotic like experiences, depression, and bullying in Korean adolescents.   Early Interv Psychiatry. 2021;15(6):1696-1704. doi:10.1111/eip.13115PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
44.
Poudel  A, Lamichhane  A, Magar  KR, Khanal  GP.  Non suicidal self injury and suicidal behavior among adolescents: co-occurrence and associated risk factors.   BMC Psychiatry. 2022;22(1):96. doi:10.1186/s12888-022-03763-zPubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
45.
Wan  Y, Chen  R, Wang  S,  et al.  Associations of coping styles with nonsuicidal self-injury in adolescents: do they vary with gender and adverse childhood experiences?   Child Abuse Negl. 2020;104:104470. doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2020.104470PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
46.
Cipriano  A, Cella  S, Cotrufo  P.  Nonsuicidal self-injury: a systematic review.   Front Psychol. 2017;8:1946. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01946PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
47.
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Injury prevention and control: WISQARS - web-based injury statistics query reporting system. 2020. Accessed May 8, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars
48.
Gardner  W, Pajer  K, Cloutier  P,  et al.  Changing rates of self-harm and mental disorders by sex in youths presenting to Ontario emergency departments: repeated cross-sectional study.   Can J Psychiatry. 2019;64(11):789-797. doi:10.1177/0706743719854070PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
49.
Page  MJ, McKenzie  JE, Bossuyt  PM,  et al.  The PRISMA 2020 statement: an updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews.   BMJ. 2021;372(71):n71. doi:10.1136/bmj.n71PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
50.
Gratz  KL.  Measurement of deliberate self-harm: preliminary data on the Deliberate Self-Harm Inventory.   J Psychopathol Behav Assess. 2001;23:253-263. doi:10.1023/A:1012779403943Google ScholarCrossref
51.
Joanna Briggs Institute. Critical appraisal checklist for analytical cross sectional studies. 2020. Accessed May 8, 2024. https://jbi.global/sites/default/files/2019-05/JBI_Critical_Appraisal-Checklist_for_Analytical_Cross_Sectional_Studies2017_0.pdf
52.
Joanna Briggs Institute. Critical appraisal checklist for cohort studies. 2020. Accessed May 8, 2024. https://jbi.global/sites/default/files/2019-05/JBI_Critical_Appraisal-Checklist_for_Cohort_Studies2017_0.pdf
53.
Suurmond  R, van Rhee  H, Hak  T.  Introduction, comparison, and validation of Meta-Essentials: a free and simple tool for meta-analysis.   Res Synth Methods. 2017;8(4):537-553. doi:10.1002/jrsm.1260PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
54.
Taliaferro  LA, Muehlenkamp  JJ.  Factors associated with current versus lifetime self-injury among high school and college students.   Suicide Life Threat Behav. 2015;45(1):84-97. doi:10.1111/sltb.12117PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
55.
Larsson  B, Sund  AM.  Prevalence, course, incidence, and 1-year prediction of deliberate self-harm and suicide attempts in early Norwegian school adolescents.   Suicide Life Threat Behav. 2008;38(2):152-165. doi:10.1521/suli.2008.38.2.152PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
56.
Martin  G, Bergen  HA, Richardson  AS, Roeger  L, Allison  S.  Sexual abuse and suicidality: gender differences in a large community sample of adolescents.   Child Abuse Negl. 2004;28(5):491-503. doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2003.08.006PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
57.
Baetens  I, Claes  L, Muehlenkamp  J, Grietens  H, Onghena  P.  Non-suicidal and suicidal self-injurious behavior among Flemish adolescents: a web-survey.   Arch Suicide Res. 2011;15(1):56-67. doi:10.1080/13811118.2011.540467PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
58.
Wilkinson  PO, Qiu  T, Jesmont  C,  et al.  Age and gender effects on non-suicidal self-injury, and their interplay with psychological distress.   J Affect Disord. 2022;306:240-245. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2022.03.021PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
59.
Stewart  SL, Baiden  P, Theall-Honey  L.  Examining non-suicidal self-injury among adolescents with mental health needs, in Ontario, Canada.   Arch Suicide Res. 2014;18(4):392-409.PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
60.
Chen  H, Cohen  P, Chen  S.  How big is a big odds ratio? interpreting the magnitudes of odds ratios in epidemiological studies.   Commun Stat Simul Comput. 2010;39(4):860-864. doi:10.1080/03610911003650383Google ScholarCrossref
61.
Van Droogenbroeck  F, Spruyt  B, Keppens  G.  Gender differences in mental health problems among adolescents and the role of social support: results from the Belgian health interview surveys 2008 and 2013.   BMC Psychiatry. 2018;18(1):6. doi:10.1186/s12888-018-1591-4PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
62.
Gutman  LM, Codiroli McMaster  N.  Gendered pathways of internalizing problems from early childhood to adolescence and associated adolescent outcomes.   J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2020;48(5):703-718. doi:10.1007/s10802-020-00623-wPubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
63.
Trewavas  C, Hasking  P, McAllister  M.  Representations of non-suicidal self-injury in motion pictures.   Arch Suicide Res. 2010;14(1):89-103. doi:10.1080/13811110903479110PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
64.
Jamieson  PE, Romer  D.  Trends in explicit portrayal of suicidal behavior in popular U.S. movies, 1950-2006.   Arch Suicide Res. 2011;15(3):277-289. doi:10.1080/13811118.2011.589748PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
65.
Canetto  SS, Sakinofsky  I.  The gender paradox in suicide.   Suicide Life Threat Behav. 1998;28(1):1-23. doi:10.1111/j.1943-278X.1998.tb00622.xPubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
66.
Chen  YY, Wu  KC, Yousuf  S, Yip  PSF.  Suicide in Asia: opportunities and challenges.   Epidemiol Rev. 2012;34(1):129-144. doi:10.1093/epirev/mxr025PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
67.
Wasserman  D, Cheng  Q, Jiang  GX.  Global suicide rates among young people aged 15-19.   World Psychiatry. 2005;4(2):114-120.PubMedGoogle Scholar
68.
Snowdon  J.  Differences between patterns of suicide in East Asia and the West. The importance of sociocultural factors.   Asian J Psychiatr. 2018;37:106-111. doi:10.1016/j.ajp.2018.08.019PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
69.
Whitlock  J, Knox  KL. Intervention and Prevention in the Community. In: Nixon  MK, Heath  NL, eds.  Self-Injury in Youth: The Essential Guide to Assessment and Intervention. 1st ed. Routledge; 2008:368.
70.
Chang  SS, Steeg  S, Kapur  N, Webb  RT, Yip  PS, Cooper  J.  Self-harm amongst people of Chinese origin versus White people living in England: a cohort study.   BMC Psychiatry. 2015;15(1):79. doi:10.1186/s12888-015-0467-0PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
71.
Gholamrezaei  M, De Stefano  J, Heath  NL.  Nonsuicidal self-injury across cultures and ethnic and racial minorities: a review.   Int J Psychol. 2017;52(4):316-326. doi:10.1002/ijop.12230PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
72.
Aggarwal  S, Borschmann  R, Patton  GC.  Tackling stigma in self-harm and suicide in the young.   Lancet Public Health. 2021;6(1):e6-e7. doi:10.1016/S2468-2667(20)30259-0PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
73.
Veale  JF, Watson  RJ, Peter  T, Saewyc  EM.  Mental health disparities among canadian transgender youth.   J Adolesc Health. 2017;60(1):44-49. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2016.09.014PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
×