• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2022

Recently, nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) has been increasing considerably in school counseling. According to the Youth Counseling and Welfare Development Institute, the number of counseling support for NSSI adolescent in 2018 was more than three times higher than the previous year, and the average time when NSSI behavior first appeared was 12.43 years old. As such, adolesnect NSSI continues to increase in recent years, and the age is also gradually decreasing. Nevertheless, research on the motives and characteristics of NSSI among domestic adolescents is still insufficient. This may be attributed to the difficulty of conducting research because self-injury behavior is secretly performed. However, it is also true that this reality has another limitation in the school field, which urgently requires counseling intervention and prevention of students' mental health problems. In addition, counseling for self-injury in the school scene is the biggest cause of exhaustion for counselors because they are under very great stress to cope with repeated self-harm in the dual role of counselors and teachers in school situations. Therefore, this study examines the causes and characteristics of involuntary self-injury through previous research analysis, and examines various difficulties experienced as a school counselor, as well as the effective intervention method of non suicidal self-injury in school counseling.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.69-76
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• 2019

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence and clinical characteristics of nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI), and its association with suicide attempts among clinically depressed adolescents in Korea. Methods : In total, 113 depressed adolescents aged 12-18 years in South Korea were enrolled in this study. We assessed sociodemographic and clinical characteristics including suicidality and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) using various self-reported scales and semi-structured interview for diagnosis of psychiatric disorders. Demographic and clinical characteristics of the subjects were compared between NSSI and non-NSSI groups. We examined significant predictors of suicide attempts using logistic regression analysis. Results : Among 113 depressed participants, 48 (42.1%) adolescents were classified into the NSSI group. In the NSSI group, there were significantly more females, showed higher depression, higher state-anxiety, and more suicide ideation. The most predictive factors of suicide attempts were history of NSSI, observed suicide/NSSI behaviors of their family or friends, and total state anxiety score. Conclusions : NSSI is more common problem among clinically depressed adolescents and history of NSSI is a significant predictor of present suicide attempts. To include the assessment of NSSI for clinically depressed adolescent may be crucial for intervention programs for high risk adolescents of suicide in Korea.