Abstract
Objective: To test the hypothesis that exposure to peer self-harm induces adolescents’ urges to self-harm and that this is influenced by individual suggestibility.
Methods: We recruited 97 UK-based adults aged 18–25 years with a recent history of self-harm, measuring baseline suggestibility (Resistance to Peer Influence; RPI) and perceived ability to control urges to self-harm (using an adapted item from the Self-Efficacy to Resist Suicidal Action scale; SEASA) before and after two self-harm vignettes featuring named peers from the participant’s social network (to simulate exposure to peer non-suicidal self-harm) and after a wash-out exposure. We used paired t-tests to compare mean SEASA scores pre- and post-exposure, and linear regression to test for an association between RPI and change in SEASA scores pre- and post-exposure.
Results: Perceived ability to control urges to self-harm was significantly reduced following exposure to peer self-harm (t(96) = 4.02, p < 0.001, mean difference = 0.61; 95% CI = 0.31, 0.91), but was not significantly different from baseline after exposure to a wash-out. We found no association between suggestibility and change in urges to self-harm after exposure to peer self-harm.
Conclusion: Our findings support social influences on self-harm in a sample of young adults, regardless of their individual degree of suggestibility.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Acta Neuropsychiatrica |
| Early online date | 28 Nov 2023 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 28 Nov 2023 |
Bibliographical note
Financial support:This project was specifically funded by the UCL Institute of Mental Health Small Grant Funding scheme to encourage collaborative and interdisciplinary work in mental health research.
A Pitman is supported by the NIHR University College London Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre.
At the time of this study, A de C was supported by a Wellcome Trust Clinical Doctoral Fellowship (216430/Z/19/Z) and has received additional funding from the Gatsby / Royal College of Psychiatrists and the British Association of Psychopharmacology.
JEJB was supported by the Wellcome Trust (Grant Code 201292/Z/16/Z) and a grant from the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
OJR’s MRC senior fellowship is partially in collaboration with Cambridge Cognition (who plan to provide in-kind contribution) and he is running an investigator-initiated trial with medication donated by Lundbeck (escitalopram and placebo, no financial contribution). He also holds an MRC-Proximity to discovery award with Roche (who provides in-kind contributions and have sponsored travel for ACP) regarding work on heart-rate variability and anxiety. He has also completed consultancy work for Peak, IESO digital health and Roche. OJR sits on the committee of the British Association of Psychopharmacology.
Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Scandinavian College of Neuropsychopharmacology.
Keywords
- adolescent
- cognition
- Key words:
- peer influence
- self-harm
- self-injurious behavior
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Psychiatry and Mental health
- Biological Psychiatry
