Background Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and aggression have been demonstrated to serve as risk factors of suicidal behaviours (SB). Non-suicidal self-injury disorder (NSSID) and Suicidal Behaviour Disorder (SBD) are among new diagnostic categories for further studies in the DSM-5 classification. Methods We recruited 196 girls (aged 15.5 ± 1.2 years) diagnosed with conduct disorder (CD). All of them were assessed with respect of non-suicidal self-injury acts, suicidal attempts, psychopathology, self-esteem and general functioning. Results Age of NSSI onset was significantly lower compared to age of first suicidal attempt. SBD was present in 50.0% of patients with NSSID and the prevalence of NSSID in individuals with SBD was estimated at 52.2%. A diagnosis of NSSID, with at least 8 days of engagement in self-injuries during the preceding year, significantly predicted the risk of SBD. This effect appeared to be independent of depressive symptomatology. Limitations Our results cannot be generalized over the whole population of individuals diagnosed with CD because of a lack of male patients, as well as individuals with the most severe and mildest forms of CD. Causal inferences cannot be established due to a cross-sectional study design. Conclusions The NSSID with at least 8 days of engagement in self-injuries during the preceding year serves as a predictor of SBD independently of the effects of depressive symptoms. Longitudinal studies are required to confirm our findings.

Non-suicidal self-injuries (NSSI) and suicidal behaviours (SB) are common causes of serious medical problems leading to hospitalization or death in adolescents and young adults. The prevalence of NSSI in adolescents is estimated at 17-18% in general population and in 40% of psychiatric hospitalized patients. Nearly one million people worldwide die from suicide each year. The epidemiological data show that suicide is the fourth cause of death among children between 10 and 14 years old, the third cause among people aged 15-19 years old, the first or second among people 14-25 years old and the second among people 25-34 years old. Many psychological, psychiatric, genetic and demographic factors have been previously studied in order to assess risk factors leading to NSSI and SB. One of psychological factors influencing the engagement in NSSI and SB is emotional intelligence (EI), which is defined as collection of social skills. More frequent NSSI and SB have been found in individuals with low EI in previous studies. The relationship between SB, NSSI and underlaying neurotransmission and brain structures have been also extensively studied. Studies applying neuroimaging techniques show correlation between alterations of brain areas which are responsible for involving in self-injourous acts and suicidal behaviours and regions key to EI levels. Thus we aimed to review the neurobiological background of emotional intelligence and self-harm and discuss the current state of knowledge on its relationship

Objective: Self-harm acts are highly prevalent among adolescents with conduct disorder. It has been shown that low level of emotional intelligence (EI) might be related to a higher risk of self-injuries. However, the exact mechanisms underlying this association are still unclear. The purpose of this study was to explore whether psychopathological symptoms and selected psychological processes mediate the association between EI and self-harm risk in adolescents with conduct disorders.Method: Out of 162 adolescents with conduct disorder approached for participation, 136 individuals (aged 14.8 ± 1.2 years, 56.6% females) were enrolled and completed the questionnaires evaluating the level of EI, depression, anxiety, impulsiveness, empathy, venturesomeness, self-esteem, and disgust.Results: Individuals with a lifetime history of self-injuries had significantly higher levels of depression, anxiety and impulsivity as well as significantly lower levels of EI and self-esteem. Higher levels of EI were associated with significantly higher levels of self-esteem, venturesomeness and empathy as well as significantly lower levels of depression, anxiety and impulsivity. Further analysis revealed that trait and state anxiety as well as self-esteem were complete mediators of the association between EI and self-harm risk.Conclusions: Our findings indicate that anxiety and self-esteem might mediate the association between EI and a risk of self-injuries in adolescents with conduct disorder. However, a cross-sectional design of this study limits conclusions on the direction of causality. Longitudinal studies are needed to test validity of our model.

It has been reported that altered dopaminergic neurotransmission may contribute to the development of aggressive behaviors and emotional intelligence (EI) impairment. However, less is known about the impact of polymorphisms in dopaminergic genes on the level of aggression and EI. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the association between the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) rs6277 gene polymorphism and the dopamine 2 receptor (DRD2) rs4680 gene polymorphism as well as the level of aggression and EI in adolescents with conduct disorder. Participants were 144 adolescents with conduct disorder recruited at the youth sociotherapy centre. The Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ) was administered to record the level of aggression while the Popular Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (PEIQ) and the Schutte Self-Report Inventory (SSRI) were used to assess EI. We found no significant associations between selected polymorphisms and the scores of BPAQ, PEIQ and SSRI. Our findings do not support the role of the COMT and the DRD2 gene polymorphisms in shaping aggressive behaviors and EI in adolescents with conduct disorder. Longitudinal studies on larger populations are needed to confirm these results.