Associations of non-suicidal self-injury with childhood maltreatment and inflammatory cytokines in adolescents with major depressive disorder
Abstract Background Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a prevalent mental health problem among adolescents, with non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) behaviors representing a prominent symptomatic manifestation. There is growing evidence that NSSI is associated with childhood maltreatment (CM) and inflam...
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BMC
2025-07-01
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| Series: | BMC Psychiatry |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-025-07047-0 |
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| author | Haojie Fan Lewei Liu Xin Zhao Mingru Hao Yinghan Tian Cheng Yang Jiawei Wang Daming Mo Feng Geng Lei Xia Huanzhong Liu |
| author_facet | Haojie Fan Lewei Liu Xin Zhao Mingru Hao Yinghan Tian Cheng Yang Jiawei Wang Daming Mo Feng Geng Lei Xia Huanzhong Liu |
| author_sort | Haojie Fan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a prevalent mental health problem among adolescents, with non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) behaviors representing a prominent symptomatic manifestation. There is growing evidence that NSSI is associated with childhood maltreatment (CM) and inflammatory cytokines. However, these associations have not been sufficiently researched in adolescents with MDD. This study aimed to investigate such associations in depressed adolescents. Methods The Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) were used to assess depressive symptoms and CM, respectively. Additionally, plasma levels of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17 A, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were measured. Results The detection rate of NSSI in adolescents with MDD was 63.8%. Patients with NSSI had higher scores of CES-D and CTQ as well as inflammatory cytokines levels (especially IL-1β) than non-NSSI patients (all p < 0.05). Further analysis demonstrated that lower age (OR = 0.724, 95% CI = 0.55 ∼ 0.952), elevated IL-1β levels (OR = 6.256, 95% CI = 1.861 ∼ 21.032), higher total CES-D score (OR = 1.033, 95% CI = 0.999 ∼ 1.068), and a higher emotional abuse score (OR = 1.117, 95% CI = 1.021 ∼ 1.222) were independent risk factors for NSSI. Finally, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis indicated that the combination of IL-1β, emotional abuse, age, and total CES-D score was a good predictor of NSSI, with an AUC value of 0.780. Conclusion NSSI was common in depressed adolescents and linked to CM and high levels of IL-1β. These results indicated that CM and inflammatory cytokines play an important role in the development of NSSI. In the future, interventions and modulations based on CM and inflammation levels may help treat NSSI in adolescents with MDD. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8a8e9a290901447486621583584e7ade |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1471-244X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj-art-8a8e9a290901447486621583584e7ade2025-08-20T03:03:25ZengBMCBMC Psychiatry1471-244X2025-07-012511910.1186/s12888-025-07047-0Associations of non-suicidal self-injury with childhood maltreatment and inflammatory cytokines in adolescents with major depressive disorderHaojie Fan0Lewei Liu1Xin Zhao2Mingru Hao3Yinghan Tian4Cheng Yang5Jiawei Wang6Daming Mo7Feng Geng8Lei Xia9Huanzhong Liu10Department of Psychiatry, Chaohu Hospital of Anhui Medical UniversityDepartment of Psychiatry, Chaohu Hospital of Anhui Medical UniversityDepartment of Psychiatry, School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical UniversityDepartment of Psychiatry, School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical UniversityDepartment of Psychiatry, Chaohu Hospital of Anhui Medical UniversityDepartment of Psychiatry, Fifth People’s Hospital of TaizhouDepartment of Psychiatry, Bozhou People’s HospitalDepartment of Psychiatry, Hefei Fourth People’s HospitalDepartment of Psychology and Sleep Medicine, the Second Hospital of Anhui Medical UniversityDepartment of Psychiatry, Chaohu Hospital of Anhui Medical UniversityDepartment of Psychiatry, Chaohu Hospital of Anhui Medical UniversityAbstract Background Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a prevalent mental health problem among adolescents, with non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) behaviors representing a prominent symptomatic manifestation. There is growing evidence that NSSI is associated with childhood maltreatment (CM) and inflammatory cytokines. However, these associations have not been sufficiently researched in adolescents with MDD. This study aimed to investigate such associations in depressed adolescents. Methods The Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) were used to assess depressive symptoms and CM, respectively. Additionally, plasma levels of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17 A, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were measured. Results The detection rate of NSSI in adolescents with MDD was 63.8%. Patients with NSSI had higher scores of CES-D and CTQ as well as inflammatory cytokines levels (especially IL-1β) than non-NSSI patients (all p < 0.05). Further analysis demonstrated that lower age (OR = 0.724, 95% CI = 0.55 ∼ 0.952), elevated IL-1β levels (OR = 6.256, 95% CI = 1.861 ∼ 21.032), higher total CES-D score (OR = 1.033, 95% CI = 0.999 ∼ 1.068), and a higher emotional abuse score (OR = 1.117, 95% CI = 1.021 ∼ 1.222) were independent risk factors for NSSI. Finally, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis indicated that the combination of IL-1β, emotional abuse, age, and total CES-D score was a good predictor of NSSI, with an AUC value of 0.780. Conclusion NSSI was common in depressed adolescents and linked to CM and high levels of IL-1β. These results indicated that CM and inflammatory cytokines play an important role in the development of NSSI. In the future, interventions and modulations based on CM and inflammation levels may help treat NSSI in adolescents with MDD.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-025-07047-0AdolescentsMajor depressive disorderNon-suicidal self-injuryChildhood maltreatmentInflammatory cytokines |
| spellingShingle | Haojie Fan Lewei Liu Xin Zhao Mingru Hao Yinghan Tian Cheng Yang Jiawei Wang Daming Mo Feng Geng Lei Xia Huanzhong Liu Associations of non-suicidal self-injury with childhood maltreatment and inflammatory cytokines in adolescents with major depressive disorder BMC Psychiatry Adolescents Major depressive disorder Non-suicidal self-injury Childhood maltreatment Inflammatory cytokines |
| title | Associations of non-suicidal self-injury with childhood maltreatment and inflammatory cytokines in adolescents with major depressive disorder |
| title_full | Associations of non-suicidal self-injury with childhood maltreatment and inflammatory cytokines in adolescents with major depressive disorder |
| title_fullStr | Associations of non-suicidal self-injury with childhood maltreatment and inflammatory cytokines in adolescents with major depressive disorder |
| title_full_unstemmed | Associations of non-suicidal self-injury with childhood maltreatment and inflammatory cytokines in adolescents with major depressive disorder |
| title_short | Associations of non-suicidal self-injury with childhood maltreatment and inflammatory cytokines in adolescents with major depressive disorder |
| title_sort | associations of non suicidal self injury with childhood maltreatment and inflammatory cytokines in adolescents with major depressive disorder |
| topic | Adolescents Major depressive disorder Non-suicidal self-injury Childhood maltreatment Inflammatory cytokines |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-025-07047-0 |
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