Cognitive Constructs and Personality Profiles in Youth with Deliberate Self-Harm Behaviours: A Scoping Review

Abstract

This scoping review explored the relationship between cognitive constructs and personality profiles in deliberate selfharm among youth, with the objective of proposing preventive and intervention strategies based on the findings. The review analysed the correlation between cognitive constructs and Deliberate Self-Harm behaviors in youth with diverse personality profiles. It investigated the role of cognitive distortions, emotional regulation, reasoning, and executive functioning in youth engaged in deliberate self-harm. A comprehensive search using the Scopus database yielded 72 relevant articles for analysis. The prevalence rates of deliberate self-harm among youth range from 7.5% to 46.5%, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions. Promising approaches include cognitive restructuring, mindfulnessbased therapies, and interventions focusing on challenging cognitive distortions to promote adaptive thinking patterns. Training interventions addressing executive functioning skills can effectively target impulsive and risky behaviors. Personality traits such as neuroticism, sensation seeking, borderline personality disorder, and perfectionism require interventions focused on emotional resilience, coping strategies, risk assessment, self-control, and impulse management