Abstract

SANTANA, Suely de Melo et al. Self-Injurious Behaviors, Family Support Perception and Anxious and Depressive Symptoms in Adolescents from Pernambuco. Estud. pesqui. psicol. [online]. 2023, vol.23, n.2, pp.647-666.  Epub May 03, 2024. ISSN 1808-4281.  https://doi.org/10.12957/epp.2023.77703.

Self-injurious behaviors in adolescence have become a public health problem worldwide. Often these behaviors are symptoms of psychiatric diseases, conceptualized as dysfunctional strategies of emotional regulation. Therefore, this study investigates the relation between self-injurious behaviors, family support perception and anxiety and depressive symptoms within adolescents from the state education network in Recife. It also estimates the prevalence of the phenomenon (n=501). Another goal was to estimate the prevalence of the phenomenon and its relation with sociodemographic variables. The instruments used were the Health Behavior in School-Aged Children Protocol, the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale and the Children’s Depression Inventory, all adapted to Brazilian Portuguese. Internal consistency, chi-square, t-test, correlation and descriptive analyzes were performed. The results showed a prevalence of 31.3% for self-injurious behaviors, with female adolescents being 2.26 times more likely to engage in self-injurious behaviors. There were significant differences between participants who engaged in self-injurious behaviors and those who did not due to their perceptions of depressive symptoms, anxious symptoms and family support. Our findings emphasize the importance of family bonds in combating self-injurious behaviors. Thus, we hope to contribute to the creation of preventive strategies against risk behaviors, anxiety and depression.

Keywords : self-injury; depression; anxiety; adolescence; family support..

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