Nonsuicidal Self-Injury And Suicidality Among Sexual Minority Youth: Risk Factors And Protective Connectedness Factors

Objective We investigated differences in prevalence of repetitive nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI), suicidal ideation, and a suicide attempt among youth who identified as bisexual, gay/lesbian, and questioning. In addition, we examined which types of social connections were associated with reduced risk of repetitive NSSI and suicidality among youth who identified with a specific sexual minority group. Methods Data came from the 2013 Minnesota Student Survey. The analytic sample included 77,758 students in grades 9 and 11. Connectedness factors included parent connectedness, teacher caring, connectedness to other nonparental adults, school safety, and friend caring. Logistic regression analyses, stratified according to sexual minority group, determined social connectedness factors associated with repetitive NSSI, suicidal ideation, and a suicide attempt, as well as moderating effects of significant connectedness factors on different risk factors (depression, anxiety, bullying, and violence victimization). Results Approximately 3% identified as bisexual or questioning their sexual orientation, and \u3c1% identified as gay/lesbian. Sexual minority youth, particularly bisexual youth, were significantly more likely than heterosexual youth to report repetitive NSSI and suicidality. Effects of connectedness varied across sexual minority groups and outcomes on the basis of types of connections. Parent connectedness emerged as a robust protective factor for all self-harm behaviors across all sexual minority groups. Feeling connected to nonparental adults and safe at school represented additional factors that reduced risk of repetitive NSSI and suicidality among certain groups. Conclusions In addition to facilitating connections between youth and parents, clinicians might consider encouraging sexual minority youth to remain connected to trusted nonparental adults who could offer support and care. Schools might consider implementing sociocultural norms of acceptance, tolerance, and positive identity development to reduce risk of self-harm

Connections That Moderate Risk Of Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Among Transgender And Gender Non-Conforming Youth

We examined associations between social connections and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) among transgender/gender non-conforming (TGNC) youth. Data came from the 2016 Minnesota Student Survey (N = 2168). Logistic regression analyses determined connectedness factors associated with any past-year NSSI and repetitive NSSI, as well as moderating effects of significant connectedness factors on different risk factors. Almost 55% of TGNC students engaged in NSSI, and 40% of self-injurers reported repetitive self-injury. Parent connectedness, connections to non-parental adults, and school safety emerged as robust protective factors. Strategies to prevent/reduce NSSI should focus on fostering connections with prosocial adults, and ensuring schools represent safe places

Motivational Benefits Of Social Support And Behavioural Interventions For Smoking Cessation

This study examined the role of social support and behavioural interventions used during the last unsuccessful quit attempt for smokers\u27 intentions to quit smoking within the next six months, and identified smokers\u27 attributes associated with the use of social support and behavioural interventions. The analytic sample included 7,195 adult daily smokers who responded to the 2010-2011 Tobacco Use Supplement to the Current Population Survey, conducted in the United States, and indicated having a serious quit attempt in the past 12 months. Smokers who relied on social support from friends and family had higher odds of intending to quit than those who did not (OR = 1.39, 95% CI = 1.22:1.58), and smokers who used interventions had higher odds of intending to quit than those who did not (OR = 1.36, 95% CI = 1.07:1.74). These associations were similar for both sexes, all age groups, and nicotine dependence levels. Both, relying on social support and the use of behavioural interventions were more common among smokers who were female, higher educated, residing in the Western US region, and those who used pharmacological aids for smoking cessation. Social support and behavioural interventions are associated with higher intentions to quit among attempters who relapsed and thus, may aid future smoking cessation

Depression And Suicidality Among Bisexual Youth: A Nationally Representative Sample

To address gaps in the literature on bisexual youth, we used the first nationally representative sample of high school students from the United States to determine profiles of behaviors related to depressive symptoms, a suicide attempt, and a medically-serious attempt. We examined the data from 922 bisexual students in grades 9–12 who completed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention\u27s 2015 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Latent class analysis derived three classes reflecting unique patterns of 10 risk and protective behaviors. For both the sexes: one group was high on all the risk behaviors and demonstrated the greatest risk of depression, a suicide attempt, and a medically-serious attempt; another was below average on all the risk and protective behaviors and demonstrated average/moderate risk of the outcomes; and the last demonstrated the highest levels of protective behaviors and the lowest risk of depression and suicidal behavior. Bisexual students are not homogenous with regard to the risk of mental health problems. Greater involvement in several risk behaviors and less involvement in protective behaviors, rather than merely a bisexual identity, might contribute to bisexual adolescents\u27 increased risk of depression and suicidal behavior. Findings have implications for prevention programming, clinical interventions, and future research

Improving capacity to identify, assess, and manage adolescents engaging in non-suicidal self-injury using patient avatars.

PURPOSE: We developed and evaluated a training comprising a didactic and virtual practice session with human-guided patient avatars to increase pediatric residents\u27 competence to identify and assess non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicide risk. METHODS: Thirty pediatric residents at three children\u27s hospitals in Florida participated in the training and completed pre-, one-month post-, and three-months post-training surveys. One-way repeated measures ANOVA with post-hoc comparisons determined changes in confidence, comfort, behavioral intentions, attitudes, knowledge, and behavior over time. Qualitative responses provided feedback on the training, especially the novel practice session with adolescent patient avatars. RESULTS: Three-months post-training residents expressed significantly greater confidence in talking to adolescents who self-injure, applying the SOARS method to assess self-injury, and assessing functions/reasons for self-injury; reported feeling significantly more comfortable asking about self-injury, well-equipped to handle the emotional aspects of self-injury, and comfortable treating adolescents who self-injure; reported greater behavioral intentions to talk to adolescents about self-injury, assess an adolescent\u27s stage of change for stopping self-injury, and provide brief interventions for adolescents who self-injure; and used SOARS to evaluate current NSSI with a greater proportion of adolescent patients. Qualitative feedback expressed positive perceptions, especially related to the virtual-reality role-play session. CONCLUSIONS: Incorporating an interactive, human-guided virtual experience using role-playing and feedback with patient avatars represents a viable option comparable to using typical standardized patients to expand the scalability of NSSI trainings for pediatric residents, especially when they occur virtually

Motivational Benefits of Social Support and Behavioural Interventions for Smoking Cessation

This study examined the role of social support and behavioural interventions used during the last unsuccessful quit attempt for smokers\u27 intentions to quit smoking within the next six months, and identified smokers\u27 attributes associated with the use of social support and behavioural interventions. The analytic sample included 7,195 adult daily smokers who responded to the 2010-2011 Tobacco Use Supplement to the Current Population Survey, conducted in the United States, and indicated having a serious quit attempt in the past 12 months. Smokers who relied on social support from friends and family had higher odds of intending to quit than those who did not (OR = 1.39, 95% CI = 1.22:1.58), and smokers who used interventions had higher odds of intending to quit than those who did not (OR = 1.36, 95% CI = 1.07:1.74). These associations were similar for both sexes, all age groups, and nicotine dependence levels. Both, relying on social support and the use of behavioural interventions were more common among smokers who were female, higher educated, residing in the Western US region, and those who used pharmacological aids for smoking cessation. Social support and behavioural interventions are associated with higher intentions to quit among attempters who relapsed and thus, may aid future smoking cessation