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Peer Influence and Nonsuicidal Self Injury: Longitudinal Results in Community and Clinically-Referred Adolescent Samples

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Abstract

Research suggests that adolescents’ engagement in nonsuicidal self-injurious (NSSI) behaviors may be increasing over time, yet little is known regarding distal longitudinal factors that may promote engagement in these behaviors. Data from two longitudinal studies are presented to examine whether NSSI may be associated with peer influence processes. Study 1 included 377 adolescents from a community-based sample; Study 2 included 140 clinically-referred adolescents recruited from a psychiatric inpatient facility. In Study 1, adolescents’ NSSI was examined at baseline and one year later. Adolescents’ nominated best friend reported their own levels of NSSI. In Study 2, adolescents’ NSSI was examined at baseline as well as 9 and 18-months post-baseline. Adolescents’ perceptions of their friends’ engagement in self-injurious behavior (including suicidality) and depressed mood also were examined at all three time points. Baseline depressive symptoms were measured in both studies; gender and age were examined as moderators of peer influence effects. Results from both studies supported longitudinal peer socialization effects of friends’ self-injurious behavior on adolescents’ own NSSI for girls, but not for boys, even after controlling for depressive symptoms as a predictor. Study 1 suggested socialization effects mostly for younger youth. Results from Study 2 also suggested longitudinal socialization effects, as well as peer selection effects; adolescents’ NSSI was associated with increasing perceptions of their friends’ engagement in depressive/self-injurious thoughts and behavior. Findings contribute to the nascent literature on longitudinal predictors of NSSI and to work on peer influence.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Davie Hall, Campus Box 3270, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-3270, USA

    Mitchell J. Prinstein, Nicole Heilbron, John D. Guerry, Joseph C. Franklin & Diana Rancourt

  2. Wayne State University/Merrill Palmer Institute, Detroit, MI, USA

    Valerie Simon

  3. Brown University School of Medicine, Providence, RI, USA

    Anthony Spirito

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  1. Mitchell J. Prinstein
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  2. Nicole Heilbron
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  3. John D. Guerry
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  5. Diana Rancourt
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  6. Valerie Simon
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  7. Anthony Spirito
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Correspondence to Mitchell J. Prinstein.

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This work was supported in part by a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (R01-MH59766) awarded to the first author.

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Prinstein, M.J., Heilbron, N., Guerry, J.D. et al. Peer Influence and Nonsuicidal Self Injury: Longitudinal Results in Community and Clinically-Referred Adolescent Samples. J Abnorm Child Psychol 38, 669–682 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-010-9423-0

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