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Non-Suicidal Self-Injury and Depressive Symptoms During Middle Adolescence: A Longitudinal Analysis

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Abstract

Previous research has shown a consistent positive association between non-suicidal self-injury and depressive symptoms. However, the direction of the effects has not been examined. To understand whether non-suicidal self-injury predicts depressive symptoms or vice versa, we examined the relations between non-suicidal self-injury and depressive symptoms across three waves of self-report data collected 1 year apart from 506 Swedish adolescents (47 % girls; M age = 13.21; SD = .57) who were attending 7th grade at the onset of the study. The results suggest that depressive symptoms predict increases in non-suicidal self-injury 1 year later between the first and second waves of the study. Between the second and third waves of the study depressive symptoms and non-suicidal self-injury were significantly correlated indicating co-occurrence with no direction of effect rather than depressive symptoms predicting non-suicidal self-injury or vice versa. Group comparisons revealed no differences for boys and girls. The findings help clarify the relationships between non-suicidal self-injury and depressive symptoms during middle adolescence.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by Grants from the Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research.

Author contributions

S.K.M. and L.T.W. developed the ideas for the study, conducted analysis, and drafted the manuscript; H.S. selected measures, designed, and coordinated data collection; S.K.M. and L.T.W. interpreted the results and then consulted H.S. for his interpretation. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of British Columbia, 2080 West Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z2, Canada

    Sheila K. Marshall

  2. School of Law, Psychology and Social Work, Örebro University, 701 82, Örebro, Sweden

    Lauree C. Tilton-Weaver & Håkan Stattin

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  1. Sheila K. Marshall
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  2. Lauree C. Tilton-Weaver
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  3. Håkan Stattin
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Correspondence to Sheila K. Marshall.

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Marshall, S.K., Tilton-Weaver, L.C. & Stattin, H. Non-Suicidal Self-Injury and Depressive Symptoms During Middle Adolescence: A Longitudinal Analysis. J Youth Adolescence 42, 1234–1242 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-013-9919-3

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