Decision-making process and negative childhood experience in adolescents with autoagression

Abstract

BACKGROUND. Analysis of the literature indicates the need for a detailed study of the features of the decision-making process, adverse experiences in childhood, the severity of depression in adolescents with truly suicidal and non-suicidal self-injurious behavior. AIM. To determine the level of depression, unfavorable childhood experience, the characteristics of the process of forming preferences, the choice of executive actions and the assessment of results in conditions of uncertainty in adolescents with suicidal attempts and non-suicidal self-injurious behavior. MATERIAL AND METHODS. From September 2019 to May 2020, clinical and experimental psychological methods (semi-structured interview, A. Beck Depression Scale, Columbian Suicidal Intentions Severity Scale, Adverse Childhood Experience Questionnaire, Iowa Gambling Task) examined adolescents from14 to 17 years: 30 persons with suicidal self-harm (mean age 16.1 years, 26 girls, 4 boys) and 32 persons with non-suicidal self-harm (mean age 16.3 years, 26 girls, 6 boys). Statistical processing was carried out using the KolmogorovSmirnov and Liliefors tests, the Leuven test, the MannWhitney U-test, and the two-sided Fisher test. RESULTS. All examined patients showed manifestations of depression of different levels. In the group with suicidal attempts, the manifestations of depression were significantly more pronounced, and they also had significantly more adverse childhood experience factors. The decision-making process is more effective in individuals with non-suicidal self-injurious behavior than in the group with suicidal auto-aggression (although the difference does not reach statistical significance). CONCLUSIONS. Thus, we have determined the level of depression, unfavorable childhood experience, peculiarities of the process of formation of preferences, choice of executive actions and assessment of results in conditions of uncertainty in adolescents with suicidal attempts and non-suicidal self-injurious behavior.