Youth Wellbeing Study – Update

Marc Wilson, Jessica Garisch, Robyn Langlands, Angelique O’Connell, Lynne Russell, Emma-Jayne Brown, Tahlia Kingi, Kealagh Robinson, and Maddie Judge

Wellington, May 2014

Youth Wellbeing Study

• Longitudinal survey with secondary school students.• Non-Suicidal Self-injury• Primarily investigating

– Risk and protective factors for the development of non-suicidal self-injury

– Barriers to help-seeking

Trajectory of NSSI among young New Zealanders

• We have data spanning age-groups– 13 – 15 years olds

...and you’ve heard us talk about before:– 16 – 19 year olds– University students (M=19 yo)

Prevalence

• YWS Wave 1 results– N=1027 (991 responded to questions on NSSI)

• 213 (21%) engaged in NSSI at least once– 81.6% had engaged in NSSI in the past year

• Senior secondary school students– N=1162

• 48.7% had engaged in NSSI at least once– 53.6% had engaged in NSSI in past year

» 46.4% over a year ago

• University students– N= 593

• 43.7% had engaged in NSSI at least once

Pre-survey Post-survey1

2

3

4

5

Participants indicated how they felt at the start, and again at the end, of the survey.

If anything, participants report feeling on average happier at the end.

YWS wave 1: Further information on prevalence...Type of NSSI Never

thought about

Thought about, never done

Have done once

Have done a few times

Have done many times

Cut 80.2 6.0 3.8 6.2 3.8

Scratched 87.5 2.7 3.8 4.0 1.9

Carved 89.2 2.3 3.7 3.0 1.7

Punched/ banged

90.3 2.5 3.7 2.7 0.7

Stuck sharp objects

91.1 2.1 3.4 2.4 0.9

Prevent healing 91.8 1.5 3.3 1.9 1.4

Bitten self 93.8 2.4 2.4 1.0 0.4

Burn 94.3 2.7 1.5 1.0 0.5

Rubbed glass 96.0 1.4 1.5 0.8 0.3

Broken bones 97.1 1.6 0.7 0.4 0.2

Rubbed sandpaper

97.7 1.1 0.8 0.3 0.1

Dripped acid 99.2 0.3 0.2 0.0 0.0

Used bleach/ cleaning agent

99.2 0.7 0.1 0.0 0.0

Prevalence of Types of NSSI

• YWS Wave 1 sample– Cutting most common– Severe scratching, carving the skin, punching or banging

• Senior Secondary School students– Sticking sharp objects into the skin, carved, scratch most common– Cutting

Other types assessed (e.g. using acid, sandpaper, etc.) much less frequently reported.

Types of NSSI generally cluster into 2 factors: ‘common’ + ‘uncommon’

Engagement in multiple types of NSSI

University student data suggests that the majority of young people engage in 1 – 3 types of NSSI...

Engagement in multiple types of NSSI

• YWS Wave 1• Of the 213 who reported NSSI

– 25.6% reported 1 form– 17.4% reported 2 forms– 15.5% reported 3 forms

– 37.1% reported > 3 forms

Self-reported Function of NSSI

YWS Wave 1: Four Clusters(Functions assessed using FASM (Klonsky & Olino, 2008)

Interpersonal:Other-focused

Interpersonal: self-focused

Intrapersonal: Disconnection

Intrapersonal: Affect & Punish

Functions & Psycho-social functioning

• Generally, intrapersonal functions (both disconnection and affect regulation/self-punishment) most strongly associated with indicators of poor functioning...

Anxiety

Leve

l of F

uncti

on e

ndor

sem

ent

DepressionLe

vel o

f Fun

ction

end

orse

men

t

Attachment to Parents

Leve

l of F

uncti

on e

ndor

sem

ent

Attachment to PeersLe

vel o

f Fun

ction

end

orse

men

t

Emotion Regulation

Leve

l of F

uncti

on e

ndor

sem

ent

ResilienceLe

vel o

f Fun

ction

end

orse

men

t

Suicidal Ideation

Leve

l of F

uncti

on e

ndor

sem

ent

Self-EsteemLe

vel o

f Fun

ction

end

orse

men

t

YWS: Participant Clusters by Function• Cluster 1: Affect regulation &

self-punishment (n=75)

• Cluster 2: Low on all (n=81)

• Cluster 3: Highest on intrapersonal (n=13)

• Cluster 4: High on all, highest on both interpersonal (n=22)

Inter/Other

Inter/self

Intra/d

iscon

Intra/aff

ect&punish

0

1

2

C1

C4

C2

C3

YWS: Clusters + Psycho-social functioning

• Four clusters differed significantly on:– Suicidality (notably C1 and C3)– Self-esteem– Resilience– Depression– Anxiety– Emotion regulation– Attachment to parents (but not peers...)– NSSI behaviour

Cluster 2 (low on all) generally the best

The NUMBER of types of self-injury engaged in is strongly predictive of suicidal ideation:

For each additional form, SBQ scores increase:1 form SBQ = 3.5ish2 forms SBQ = 5ish3 forms SBQ = 7ish

7 is the recommended cutoff for concern…

Inter/Other

Inter/self

Intra/d

iscon

Intra/aff

ect&punish

0

1

2

C1 C2 C3 C40

1

2

3

4

5

6

Num

ber o

f orm

s of N

SSI e

ngag

ed in

YWS: Participant Clusters by NSSI forms

C1

C4

C2

C3

Inter/Other

Inter/self

Intra/d

iscon

Intra/aff

ect&punish

0

1

2

YWS: Participant Clusters by NSSI forms

C1 – 2nd most likely to cut, 3rd most likely for most forms

C4 – most likely to self-bite, 2nd most likely for most.Most likely to have thought about ‘atypical’ self-injury like bone breaking, using glass, bleach, etc

C2

C3 – Most likely to cut, carve, insert

Implications for practice

• Results congruent with the idea that NSSI begins in early adolescents, and continues into early adulthood for some individuals

• Forms of NSSI: multiple behaviours need to be queried.

• Functions– Heterogeneity– Affect regulation most prevalent

Implications for practice continued...

• Functions can point to skills required...– Affect regulation

• Distress tolerance skills• Labelling and communicating emotions• Understanding beliefs regarding experiencing (and showing)

emotion

Acknowledgements

• Participating schools, counsellors + students• HRC

Thanks for listening

Any questions? Comments?