Are Tattoos an Indicator of Severity of Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Behavior in Adolescents?
- Author:
Marco Antonio SOLÍS-BRAVO
1
;
Yassel FLORES-RODRÍGUEZ
;
Liliana Guadalupe TAPIA-GUILLEN
;
Aymara GATICA-HERNÁNDEZ
;
Miriam GUZMÁN-RESÉNDIZ
;
Luis Alberto SALINAS-TORRES
;
Tania Lucila VARGAS-RIZO
;
Lilia ALBORES-GALLO
Author Information
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords: Tattoo; Self-injury; Suicide; Child and adolescence psychiatry; Prevalence
- MeSH: Adolescent; Appointments and Schedules; Health Occupations; Humans; Intention; Male; Methods; Phenotype; Prevalence; Suicide; Tattooing
- From:Psychiatry Investigation 2019;16(7):504-512
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
- Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To compare adolescents with non-suicidal self-injury behavior and tattoos [NSSI (T+)] with another group with non-suicidal self-injury behavior without tattoos [NSSI (T−)]. METHODS: Adolescents (n=438) 42.6% males from the community (M=12.3, SD=1.3), completed the Self-Injury Schedule. RESULTS: The lifetime prevalence of tattoos performed with the purpose to feel pain was 1.8%. Compared to the NSSI (T−) group, the NSSI (T+) group was significantly more likely to meet the DSM-5 frequency criteria of 5 self-injury events in 1 year, practice more than one method of self-injury, and topography, more suicidal intentionality, more negative thoughts and affective emotions before, during, and after self-injury and more academic and social dysfunction. CONCLUSION: Adolescents from the community who practice tattooing to feel pain, show a distinct phenotype of NSSI. Health professionals and pediatricians should assess tattooing characteristics such as intention (to feel pain), frequency, and presence of non-suicidal self-injury behavior and suicide intentionality.
