EMPIRICAL RESEARCH Perceived Dimensions of Parenting and Non-suicidal Self-injury in Young Adults Jean-Franc ¸ois Bureau • Jodi Martin • Nathalie Freynet • Alexane Alie Poirier • Marie-France Lafontaine • Paula Cloutier Received: 23 July 2009 / Accepted: 20 October 2009 / Published online: 2 November 2009 Ó Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2009 Abstract Family experiences are influential in the development of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). The cur- rent study aimed to identify specific dimensions underlying early parent–child relationships in association with NSSI. It was hypothesized that all relationship dimensions would be related with NSSI, with some dimensions being stronger predictors when accounting for shared variance. Gender differences were also assessed. Participants were grouped according to the endorsement of NSSI in the past 6 months, resulting in a Non-NSSI group (n = 1133) and a NSSI group (n = 105). Significant differences were found for the relationship dimensions between the two groups. When shared variance was accounted for, fear and alienation were the only dimensions predicting NSSI. Similar results were found for females (n = 887), while no analyses using males (n = 351) were significant. These results emphasize the need to acknowledge the role of parent–child rela- tionships in prevention programs and intervention models for NSSI. Keywords Non-suicidal self-injury Á Parent–child relationships Á Family experiences Á Young adulthood Introduction Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is defined as the deliberate, direct destruction or alteration of body tissue severe enough for tissue damage to occur, performed without a conscious suicidal intent (Favazza 1989; International Society for the Study of Self-Injury 2007). Adolescents endorsing NSSI most commonly describe using the behaviour as a method for coping with negative emotions and emotional experiences (Favazza 1998; Gratz 2003; Nixon et al. 2002). Over the last decade, NSSI has gained renewed research attention due to an emphasis from researchers and clinicians concerning the increased mag- nitude of NSSI as a psychological and physiological health risk for young adults. Although clinical populations of adolescents and young adults are at increased risk for engaging in NSSI (prevalence rates ranging from 38 to 67%; see Heath et al. 2009 for a review), recent studies have identified prevalence rates of NSSI as ranging between 10 and 44% in Canadian and American normative adolescent and college student samples (Gratz 2006; Gratz and Chapman 2007; Gratz et al. 2002; Nixon et al. 2008; Ross and Heath 2002; Heath et al. 2008; Whitlock et al. 2006). Thus, there is a need for more research to better understand this phenomenon in normative populations of young adults. NSSI and the Quality of Family Relationships Previous theory and research have suggested that inter- personal relationships may influence the development of NSSI in adolescence (e.g., Suyemoto 1998), with particular importance placed on the family context. For example, Linehan’s (1993) theoretical model for the development of borderline personality disorder, self-harming and suicidal J.-F. Bureau (&) Á J. Martin Á N. Freynet Á M.-F. Lafontaine Department of Psychology, University of Ottawa, 200 Lees, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada e-mail: jbureau@uottawa.ca A. A. Poirier Universite ´ du Que ´bec a ` Montre ´al, Montreal, Quebec, Canada P. Cloutier Mental Health Research Unit, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, ON, Canada 123 J Youth Adolescence (2010) 39:484–494 DOI 10.1007/s10964-009-9470-4