Characteristics of non-suicidal self-injury among adolescent students in Hanoi

Abstract

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a significant mental health concern among adolescents; however, research on this issue in Vietnam remains limited. This study described the characteristics of NSSI among students from grades 6 to 12 in four urban schools in Hanoi, including prevalence, behavioral methods, severity, age of onset, and experiential features of the behavior. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 1,063 students, using the Functional Assessment of Self-Mutilation (FASM). The results indicated that 50.2% of students reported engaging in NSSI in the past 12 months. The prevalence was higher among female students than among male students and higher among students in grades 6, 7, and 10. The most common forms of NSSI were self-hitting (62.0%), picking at wounds (58.2%), and self-biting (54.0%). On average, each student reported 3.37 different methods (SD = 2.10), and 26.3% reported five or more. The findings also indicated that NSSI tended to have an early onset and was characterized by notable experiential features, including low perceived pain and a high degree of impulsivity. Overall, NSSI was a prevalent and multidimensional phenomenon among adolescent students, highlighting the need for early prevention and intervention programs in school settings.