Clinical features and influencing factors of adolescent major depressive disorder with suicidal and self-injurious behaviour.

Objective: To analyze the related influencing factors of major depressive disorder (MDD) in adolescents, focusing on suicidal and self-injurious behavior (SSIB).

Methods: A total of 299 adolescents with MDD who were admitted to the psychiatric department of our hospital between February 2022 and July 2023 were selected by using convenience sampling. Participants were divided into the SSIB group (n=110) and the non-SSIB group (n=189) according to the presence of SSIB. Related indicators were collected and compared.

Results: Participants' age at first SSIB ranged from 10 to 18 years old, with a mean age of 13.30±1.74 years. The most injured parts were lower arm and wrist (42.13%). Cutting was the most common type of injury, accounting for 40% of all participants. The most common type of self-injury differed by sex (χ2 = 17.798, p = 0.006): for men, hitting was the most common; for women, cutting was the most common. In 51.41% of participants, the time between the first thought and the actual SSIB was less than 5 minutes. Scores on the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire Chinese version, the Symptom Checklist-90 (all p < 0.001), and the Health Risk Behavior Scale (67.47±12.59 vs. 41.58±11.36, t = 9.587, p < 0.001) were significantly higher in the SSIB group than in the non-SSIB group. In addition, the total score of quality of life (QoL) (11.36±4.32 vs. 16.43±5.64, t = 5.496, p < 0.001) was lower in the SSIB group than in the non-SSIB group.

Conclusion: The SSIB of adolescents with MDD relates to various factors, including impulsiveness, aggressiveness, personality traits, QoL, and mental health level.