Patterns of Non-Suicidal Self-Injury and Their Relationship with Suicide Attempts in Youth with Borderline Personality Disorder

Abstract

The study aimed to identify the relationships between patterns of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), their severity, and suicide attempts among 107 youth (aged 15–25 years) with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Two principal patterns were identified via a graphical representation of retrospectively reported 12-month histories of NSSI. These were habitual (NSSI occurring at regular intervals) and random patterns (NSSI inconsistently spaced). Habitual patterns of NSSI were associated with lower severity and fewer suicide attempts than random patterns. Within-person comparisons revealed a reduction in NSSI engaged within a habitual pattern and an increase in NSSI engaged within a random pat..