University of Zurich

Academic Institute

Annekatrin Steinhoff

B3693

Self-harm among adolescents and young adults is a widespread public health problem. Self-harm is often a maladaptive coping strategy used to alleviate severe emotion dysregulation following stressful events. Adolescence is a period of marked development in the realm of social relationships and socio-emotional competencies. However, the developmental associations between social stress and self-harm across the adolescent years are poorly understood. In particular, the mechanisms linking social stress and self-harm are largely understudied. Better knowledge about these processes is urgently needed, in order to identify promising targets for interventions designed to support adolescents with self-harm and help them cease from this self-destructive behavior.

The findings will provide new insights into the mechanisms linking stress and self-harm, and inform a holistic understanding of the developmental antecedents and consequences of self-harm. The findings will also help identify youth at risk for self-harm and improve intervention programs designed to reduce the enormous burden that self-harm can entail for individuals and society.

06/01/2021