Abstract
BackgroundNon-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is prevalent in adolescents and brings a series of serious consequences to their well-being. However, little is known about parents’ attitude toward NSSI in Chinese adolescents. The study aims to investigate the parents’ attitudes toward and perceptions of adolescents who have engaged in NSSI behaviors, and the impact of NSSI on their parents.MethodsPurposive sampling was used in the study. The biological parents of adolescents with NSSI were recruited from the psychiatric ward of a tertiary hospital in China. Semi-structured interviews were conducted which contained three aspects, that is the history of NSSI, the process of seeking or maintaining help and the impacts on the family. Each interview typically lasted 40–50 min. All of the interviews were audio-recorded. Their responses were analyzed by the thematic analysis.ResultsTwenty participants completed the interview, consisting of 16 mothers and 4 fathers. Three themes and eight sub-themes were extracted: (1) the attitudes to children’s NSSI behaviors (ignorance, shame, and stereotype); (2) coping strategies of parents (the initial response to adolescents’ NSSI, and the way of help-seeking); (3) the impacts on family (altered parenting and communication styles, limited personal lives, and increased psychological pressure).ConclusionThe results showed that parents lack the knowledge about NSSI and its treatment and are suffering great emotional stress. It is recommended to expand the popularization of knowledge of NSSI in adolescents and more interventions adapted to China’s sociocultural climate are required for the well-being of parents and NSSI in adolescents.
Highlights
Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), called deliberate self-injury, refers to a self-injury behavior that is intentional, unsanctioned by society, and not intended for suicide [1]
Substance use is one of the antecedents leading to adolescent NSSI, and nearly 50% of adolescents with NSSI have a history of substance use [12]
Our research found that parents do not know how to cope with their children’s NSSI behaviors and lack relevant knowledge about NSSI in adolescents
Summary
Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), called deliberate self-injury, refers to a self-injury behavior that is intentional, unsanctioned by society, and not intended for suicide [1]. NSSI can occur in any group, including adolescents, college students, and patients with mental illness. It is most common among adolescents, and the onset of NSSI is most often between 12 and 15 years old [4] The global prevalence of NSSI among adolescents is approximately 17% in nonclinical samples [5], with most cases occurring among females [6]. NSSI is known to be associated with a combination of factors [8]. Previous studies have shown that the relationship with parents is one of the risk factors for adolescent NSSI behaviors [14], especially parenting style. The study aims to investigate the parents’ attitudes toward and perceptions of adolescents who have engaged in NSSI behaviors, and the impact of NSSI on their parents
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