Abstract

FONSECA, Paulo Henrique Nogueira da; SILVA, Aline Conceição; ARAUJO, Leandro Martins Costa de  and  BOTTI, Nadja Cristiane Lappann. Non-suicidal self-injury intent among adolescents. Arq. bras. psicol. [online]. 2018, vol.70, n.3, pp. 246-258. ISSN 1809-5267.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the frequency and characteristics of self-injury among adolescents. METHODS: Exploratory, transversal, descriptive study with quantitative approach. The sample consisted of 517 adolescents aged 10 to 14 years, enrolled in four state schools in the city of Divinópolis, Minas Gerais. For data collection, the Functional Assessment of Self-Mutilation (ECA) was applied. The criteria adopted by the Statistical Manual and Diagnosis of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) were used to consider the frequency of self-injury. RESULTS: 9.48% of the participants reported self-injury in the last year. The main reasons cited for self-injury were relieving feelings of emptiness or indifference and ceasing feelings or bad feelings. CONCLUSION: It is important to consider the number of adolescents practicing self-injury, its predominance among the female audience, and the main function of emotional regulation to justify this behavior.

Keywords : Adolescent; Self-injury; Mental Health.

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