Entendendo como a autolesão não suicida ocorre em países de baixa e média renda

Resumo

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI), defined as the deliberate destruction of body tissue without suicidal intent, represents a major public health concern among adolescents and young adults worldwide [1]. However, data from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) remain scarce, particularly from community-based samples.

In this context, Souza et al. conducted the first representative community-based study on NSSI in Brazil, using data from the Brazilian High-Risk Cohort Study (BHRC) [2]. This research provides novel findings on the six-month prevalence and psychopathological correlates of occasional and repetitive NSSI among Brazilian youth. Weighted analyses revealed patterns consistent with global findings, highlighting the importance of understanding NSSI in diverse sociocultural contexts.

Importantly, the study demonstrated a robust association between NSSI and psychiatric comorbidities, particularly depressive and anxiety disorders, as well as a dose–response relationship between the number of concurrent diagnoses and NSSI severity. While occasional NSSI was not significantly associated with psychopathology, repetitive NSSI showed strong correlations with mood, anxiety, and externalizing disorders, highlighting distinct clinical trajectories and developmental pathways [3].

By integrating survey-weighted models and zero-inflated negative binomial regressions, this study contributes essential epidemiological evidence on NSSI in a large LMIC population. These findings emphasize the need for early detection and preventive strategies, as well as longitudinal investigations to understand how NSSI evolves from adolescence into adulthood.

Overall, this work represents a significant contribution to developmental psychiatry, bridging an important knowledge gap in the epidemiology of self-injurious behaviors in emerging countries.