Examining the Relationship between Subjective Understanding of Parent-Adolescent Conflict and Self-Harm in a Sample of Adolescents with Depression

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine differences in subjective understanding of conflict with parents between adolescents with depression who self harm and adolescents with depression who do not self harm. The study also examines differences in subjective understanding of conflict between parents of these groups. 73 adolescents (ages 12 18), all with a depression diagnosis and some of whom engage in self injury (n = 18), and their caregiver participated in a conflict negotiation task and completed a video recall measure. Adolescents who self harmed perceived their parent as significantly more controlling during the discussion than adolescents who did not self harm. Parents of adolescents who self harmed perceived their teenager as significantly less supportive and viewed themselves as holding back significantly less during the discussion. Understanding adolescents’ and parents’ appraisals of their own behavior and others’ behaviors during emotionally challenging situations is valuable for furthering knowledge and understanding of self injury during adolescence and the clinical interventions suitable for this group