Onset and offset of nonsuicidal self-injury prospectively associates with emotion regulation and suicide ideation in adolescents.

Objective: Suicide ideation and attempts are increasing for individuals between the ages of 15 and 24. Emotion dysregulation is a common factor that has been linked to many risky behaviors including NSSI and suicidal ideation. The current study aimed to longitudinally examine how the onset and offset of NSSI associated with changes in emotion regulation domains and suicidal ideation in a community sample of adolescents.

Methods: Participants between the ages of 14-17 were asked about NSSI, emotion regulation, and suicide ideation at baseline and 6-month follow-up. Most adolescents reported no NSSI at either timepoint (n = 316; 83 %); 5 % (n = 20) reported NSSI at both time points, 6 % (n = 23) had onset NSSI, and 6 % (n = 23) had offset NSSI. NSSI change groups were compared on emotion regulation domains and suicide ideation across time.

Results: Adolescents who consistently did or did not engage in NSSI across time did not report any changes in emotion dysregulation or suicide ideation. Adolescents who reported an onset of NSSI during the follow-up also reported an increase in lack of impulse control and suicide ideation severity. Adolescents who stopped engaging in NSSI during the follow-up reported significantly better impulse control, better access to emotion regulation strategies, and increased use of reappraisal.

Conclusions: These results hold potential for interventions that help adolescents find alternative coping/emotion regulation strategies outside of NSSI use.