Graduate Program

Clinical Psychology

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Semester of Degree Completion

2011

Thesis Director

Amy Brausch

Thesis Committee Member

Wesley Allan

Thesis Committee Member

Jeff Stowell

Abstract

This study examined group differences of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in adolescents on four behavioral risk factors: risk behaviors, peer victimization, substance use, and weight related behaviors. It was hypothesized that adolescents who engaged in NSSI within the past year would endorse more risk behaviors than adolescents who did not engage in NSSI. It was further hypothesized that the higher the frequency with which an adolescent engaged in NSSI, the more risk factors they would report. Frequency was divided into three groups: "more frequently" (6 + times in the past year), "less frequently" (1-5 times in the past year) and "no engagement in NSSI." Data were collected from a sample of 4,786 public high school students in a rural area. Analyses were completed twice, once excluding adolescents who reported having made a suicide attempt and second including these adolescents. Results indicated that for both samples (including/excluding students with suicide attempts), participants with a history ofNSSI in the past year reported more risk behaviors than those with no history. Similarly, there were significant differences on risk factors across NSSI frequency groups for both samples. However, there were only significant pair-wise differences between the more and less frequent group in the complete sample, with the more frequent NSSI group reporting higher levels of risk behaviors. Directions for future research are discussed. Findings from the study bring attention to the need for positive coping skills to be taught in public high schools.

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