Childhood emotional dysregulation paths for suicide‑related behaviour engagement in adolescence

Abstract

Objectives. To identify the heterogeneous trajectories of emotional dysregulation across childhood, and to determine the relationship between specific trajectories and self-injurious behaviour (SIB) engagement in adolescence. Methods. Data from the Millennium Cohort Study (N=13,853 British children; 49.07% female, M = 3.13 years at baseline, SD = 0.2) was used to identify the heterogeneous trajectories of emotional dysregulation from 3 to 8 years old. Moreover, 1,992 participants (52.86% female) from the initial sample was used to study the relationship between child emotional dysregulation trajectory membership and engagement in both non-suicidal SIB and suicide attempt at age 17. Other time-invariant and proximal (adolescent) risk factors were incorporated into analysis. Results. Six trajectories of emotional dysregulation were identified. Trajectory membership was not associated with 12-month non-suicidal SIB engagement in adolescence, but the history of non-suicidal self-harm and other proximal risk factors. Child trajectories featured by earlier emotional dysregulation were associated with higher risk of lifetime suicide attempt, as well as proximal risk factors such as non-suicidal self-harm. Conclusion. This study found differential risk profiles involved in both SIB forms. While early emotional dysregulation may boost suicide attempt engagement in adolescence, it had no impact on the development of non-suicidal self-harm.