Deliberate Self-Harm in 14-Year-Old Adolescents: How Frequent Is It, and How Is It Associated with Psychopathology, Relationship Variables, and Styles of Emotional Regulation?

Abstract. Deliberate self-harm was studied in 14-year-old adolescents from four schools in southern
Sweden with a test–retest design, using a nine-item version of the Deliberate Self-Harm Inventory. At
Time 1, 40.2% of the adolescents indicated deliberate self-harm on at least one occasion compared
with 36.5% at Time 2. Test–retest data showed high stability over periods of up to 2 months in
duration. Cross-validation of the results from Time 1 to Time 2 showed robust correlations between
deliberate self-harm and general psychopathology, a relative absence of positive feelings toward
parents, and a ruminative style of emotional regulation. Further, rumination/negative thinking and a
relative absence of positive feelings toward parents were predictors of self-harm independently of
general psychopathology. In addition, deliberate self-harm correlated with symptoms of eating
disorder and negative body esteem in girls.