Nonsuicidal self-injury in a clinical sample of adolescents in Serbia

Background/Aim. Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) among adolescents is recognized as a significant public health concern. Adolescents with mental health problems are at an especially high risk of NSSI. The aim of the study was to assess the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of patients with NSSI and the features of NSSI, as well as the impact of emotional reactivity and internalizing/externalizing problems on them. Methods. The observational study included a clinical sample of 111 adolescents treated at the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychiatric Clinic at the University Clinical Center of Vojvodina, from March 2018 to October 2019. The adolescents were divided into two groups: group A comprised of adolescents who had at least one episode of NSSI in the last year, and group B comprised of adolescents who had no NSSI episode in their experience. The following clinical scales were used to examine the differences between adolescents from group A and group B: self-report questionnaires about emotional and behavioral problems (Youth Self-Report - YSR, Child