Detailed contribution information
| Contribution title | Profiling Dual Harm: The Impact of Clinical and Individual Factors |
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| Contribution code | D3.077 |
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| Form of presentation | Poster |
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| Abstract |
AIMS - Dual harm refers to the simultaneous or sequential occurrence of self-harm and externalized aggression. Individuals with dual harm often display more severe psychopathology, such as increased impulsivity and greater interpersonal and emotional difficulties, compared to those engaging in only self-harm or aggression. Adolescence is a crucial period for studying dual harm, given the high prevalence of both behaviors during this developmental stage. This study aimed to evaluate differences between adolescent inpatients engaging in self-harm and those engaging in dual harm, focusing on psychopathological profiles, emotional regulation, and impulsivity. It also explored sex-related differences between the groups, as well as the impact of gender, age of onset of clinical features, and age at assessment within the dual harm group. METHODS - The final sample consisted of 215 adolescent inpatients (aged 11-18 years; 90.70% female; 60.47% with self-harm vs. 39.53% with dual harm) admitted to Policlinico Umberto I of Rome between 2017 and 2022. The general psychopathological profile, emotional regulation, and impulsivity were assessed using self-report questionnaires and clinical interviews, including the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children-Present and Lifetime Version (K-SADS-DSM-5), Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 Personality Disorders (SCID-5-PD), Deliberate Self-harm Inventory (DSHI), Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), Urgency-Premeditation-Perseverance-Sensation Seeking-Positive Urgency impulsive behavior scale (UPPS-P), and the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11). RESULTS and CONCLUSIONS - Adolescents engaging in self-harm showed a prevalent affective dimension in their psychopathological profiles, while those reporting dual harm showed higher levels of conduct disorders, impulsivity and emotional regulation difficulties compared to their self-harm peers. Specifically, in the dual harm group, impulsivity was linked to dysfunctional responses to negative emotions, particularly manifesting as motor impulsivity. These differences were evident when comparing girls with self-harm and dual harm, whereas no significant differences were observed between boys with self-harm and those with dual harm. Within the dual harm group, boys showed greater difficulties in emotional clarity compared to girls. However, no sex-based differences were observed in terms of clinical diagnosis or impulsivity. |