Comparison of general self-efficacy in adolescents with and without self-harming behavior (Case study: Bojnourd city)

In recent years, self-injurious behavior has grown significantly among adolescents. The aim of this study was to compare general self-efficacy in adolescents with and without self-injurious behavior. The type of the research is comparative causal type. The present study population was high school students (15 to 18 years old) in Bojnourd. Among them, 137 patients in two groups, healthy students (N = 65) and students with self-injurious behavior (N = 72) were selected by convenience sampling method and completed the general self-efficacy questionnaire. Research data were analyzed using SPSS-22 software with t-test. The results showed that general self-efficacy was significantly different in the healthy group and the student group with self-injurious behavior (P = 0.014). Based on the findings of this study, it can be concluded that general self-efficacy in healthy students is higher than students who have self-injurious behavior. Increasing self-efficacy to resist self-harm can be an important step in equipping adolescents with self-harm in high-risk emotional situations in the future.