Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is common and associated with higher suicide risk. Self-injury scars hold valuable clinical insights, but research in this area remains limited. This study aims to examine possible correlations between scar characteristics and both suicide risk and symptom severity. Adolescents with arms self-injury scars were enrolled in the study. Scar characteristics were quantitatively evaluated. The suicide behavior questionnaire-revised (SBQ-R) and the adolescent non-suicidal self-Injury assessment questionnaire (ANSAQ) were utilized to assess suicide risk and symptom severity. Statistical analyses were conducted to explore the possible links between scar characteristics and both suicide risk and symptom severity. Total 198 cases were enrolled, representing 47.8% of adolescent patients and 7.6% of all patients, with 77.3% classified as NSSI. The total scar score was linked to Self-injury frequency, ANSAQ scores, Days of last injury and Course of disease. Logistic regression showed that total scar score, ANSAQ score, and Days of last injury were linked to suicide risk. In contrast, SBQ-R score, Course of disease, Days of last injury, and Frequency were associated with symptom severity. ROC analysis showed that only ANSAQ scores predicted suicide risk, while SBQ-R scores and Frequency predicted symptom severity. The self-injury scars among adolescents are associated with specific clinical features and suicide risk, but their value for predicting suicide or assessing disease severity remains limited. The study was registered with chictr.org.cn: ChiCTR2600117633, on 2025/03/04.
Shi et al. (Fri,) studied this question.