Citation

Woo J, Wrath AJ, Adams GC. Arch. Suicide Res. 2020; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, International Academy of Suicide Research, Publisher Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/13811118.2020.1804024

PMID

32780672

Abstract

Adolescents have high rates of self-injurious behavior (SIB), with suicide being the second leading cause of death. A consistent relationship between individual attachment and SIB was previously found in adult population; however, no such review has been undertaken for the child and adolescent population. A systematic search of PubMED, OVID, and PsychINFO up to March 31, 2020 was performed. Twenty-two articles met the inclusion criteria. Of the 22 articles, 21 found a positive association between attachment insecurity and SIB. Our results show a consistent relationship between attachment insecurity and SIB in children and adolescents, complementing the results found in the adult literature. These findings make a case for preventive strategies aimed at reducing self-injurious behaviors in youth by targeting attachment security.

Language: en

Keywords

suicide; risk factor; non-suicidal self-injury; child and adolescent psychiatry; Attachment