Search

Background: This study examined the prevalence of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), suicide attempts, suicide threats and suicidal ideation in a German school sample and compared the rates with a similar sample of adolescents from the midwestern USA by using cross-nationally validated assessment tools., Method: Data were provided from 665 adolescents (mean age 14.8 years, S.D.=0.66, range 14-17 years) in a school setting. Students completed the Self-Harm Behavior Questionnaire (SHBQ), the Ottawa Self-Injury Inventory (OSI) and a German version of the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D)., Results: A quarter of the participants (25.6%) endorsed at least one act of NSSI in their life, and 9.5% of those students answered that they had hurt themselves repetitively (more than four times). Forty-three (6.5%) of the students reported a history of a suicide attempt. No statistically significant differences were observed between the German and US samples in terms of self-injury or suicidal behaviors., Conclusions: By using the same validated assessment tools, no differences were found in the prevalence and characteristics of self-injury and suicidal behaviors between adolescents from Germany and the USA. Thus, it seems that NSSI has to be understood as worldwide phenomenon, at least in Western cultures.

Introduction: German mental health care providers report to encounter many cases of NSSI in their professional context, but only around 50% know about the treatment guidelines for NSSI of children and adolescents. Many consider professional training about NSSI as necessary for themselves. In response to this need, within the project Star Train different strategies of dissemination of the content of the guidelines were developed. Objectives: This study aims at comparing the effectiveness of different strategies of dissemination: printed material, e-learning and blended-learning. Methods: Participants were randomly assigned to one of three different learning formats: printed material, e-learning, and blended-learning. Via online-survey participants provide preand post-training self-assessments of their knowledge of NSSI, practical skills, self-efficacy in handling cases of NSSI and attitudes towards NSSI and those affected. Additionally a multiple-choicetest of NSSI is assessed. For data-analyses between-group and within-group comparisons were conducted using a mixed design ANOVA. To ensure quality of learning formats, user-satisfaction was surveyed. Results: Data of the pretest-posttest comparison group design show that knowledge, practical skills, and self-efficacy in handling cases of NSSI raise for all participants and that attitudes towards NSSI and those affected are improved. There is no difference between the learning formats, thus all participants profit equally from their education. User satisfaction is high. Conclusions: Results of this study suggest that the developed different training strategies can contribute equally to a better understanding and enhance skills of professionals regarding NSSI. The choice of training method could be driven by considering which goals want to be achieved and cost-value ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]