Abstract
BackgroundSelf-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITBs) are common in adolescents. While there is no standardized interview in German to assess SITBs to date, the Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors Interview (SITBI) is widely used in English-speaking countries. However, the SITBI has not been validated for the assessment of the recently issued DSM-5 Section 3 diagnoses of nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicidal behavior disorder (SBD) yet. In the present study the psychometric properties of the German version of the SITBI (SITBI-G) were assessed. We also evaluated whether SITBI-G is a reliable and valid instrument to establish diagnoses of NSSI and SBD.MethodsA clinical adolescent sample (N = 111, f/m = 73/38, age range = 12-19 years) was recruited from the inpatient units of three departments of child and adolescent psychiatry in Germany. All participating patients were interviewed by using the SITBI-G, and DSM-5 criteria of NSSI and SBD were operationalized from the SITBI-G data. Additionally, participants were given the Self-Harm Behavior Questionnaire (SHBQ), and SITBI-G was retested in a subsample.ResultsThe SITBI-G shows moderate to good test-retest reliability, a very good interrater reliability, and a good construct validity. The results demonstrate that diagnoses of NSSI and SBD can be established using the SITBI-G, achieving moderate to good test-retest reliabilities and very good to perfect interrater reliabilities.ConclusionsOverall, the good psychometric properties of SITBI-G are comparable to the original version of the interview. Therefore, SITBI-G seems to be highly appropriate to assess SITBs, including the new DSM-5 Section 3 diagnoses NSSI and SBD in research and clinical contexts.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12888-014-0265-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
Self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITBs) are common in adolescents
The present study aims to assess (1) the psychometric quality of the German translation of the Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors Interview (SITBI) in its long form; and (2) the validity and reliability of the DSM-5 diagnoses nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicidal behavior disorder (SBD) assessed by the Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors Interview German (SITBI-G)
In order to assess the new diagnoses of NSSI and SBD, the SITBI-G items were matched with the DSM-5 proposed criteria for NSSI, SBD, and current SBD
Summary
Self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITBs) are common in adolescents. While there is no standardized interview in German to assess SITBs to date, the Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors Interview (SITBI) is widely used in English-speaking countries. The SITBI has not been validated for the assessment of the recently issued DSM-5 Section 3 diagnoses of nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicidal behavior disorder (SBD) yet. Self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITBs) are frequently observed in adolescent populations, with up to a third of European students in school populations reporting to have deliberately injured themselves at least once in their lifetime [1]. These behaviors can be distinguished according to the intent to die as “nonsuicidal”. The diagnosis Suicidal Behavior Disorder (SBD) does not include either suicidal ideation or suicidal plans, but only suicide attempts [16]
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