Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Behavior in Adolescents and Neuropsychology: An Integrative Review From 2015 to 2022

Abstract

Adolescence includes psychological, social, biological, and more specifically, neurological changes. The development involves the strengthening of emotional regulation and the suitability of executive functions linked to the performance of the prefrontal cortex. In contrast, the disturbance of this process refers to emotional dysregulation, common in most psychopathologies or risky behaviors, such as self-injurious behavior. The study aimed to conduct an integrative literature review on neuropsychological aspects linked to non-suicidal self-injury. The searches were performed in the Portal CAPES and Google Scholar database. Four hundred eighty-seven studies were found, 14 of which are eligible for this review. Associations of self-injurious behavior with impairments in dimensions of emotional regulation, impulsivity/compulsivity, decision-making, psychological stress and coping style, and suicide behavior were observed.