Self-harm among adolescents and young adults is a widespread public health problem. Self-harm is often a maladaptive coping strategy used to alleviate severe emotion dysregulation following stressful events. Adolescence is a period of marked development in the realm of social relationships and socio-emotional competencies. However, the developmental associations between social stress and self-harm across the adolescent years are poorly understood. In particular, the mechanisms linking social stress and self-harm are largely understudied. Better knowledge about these processes is urgently needed, in order to identify promising targets for interventions designed to support adolescents with self-harm and help them cease from this self-destructive behavior.

Therefore, the aim of this project is to investigate how social stress and self-harm are interrelated between early adolescence and early adulthood. A particular focus will be on the mechanisms underlying these associations. Candidate mediators are a) biological manifestations of stress (e.g., inflammation) and b) physical health and health behaviors (e.g., sleep patterns). Potential gender differences will also be considered.

The findings will provide novel insights into the developmental precursors of adolescent self-harm and help improve intervention programs designed to reduce the enormous burden that self-harm can entail for individuals and society.