Self-injuries in adolescents: social competence, emotional intelligence, and stigmatization.

Social competence, emotional intelligence, and strategies of coping with stress were investigated in adolescents who commit acts of self-injury. Furthermore, the extent to which stigma influences changes in psychological functioning of self-injuring persons also was examined. The methodology consisted of recognized self-reporting psychometric tools. Findings revealed substantial disturbances in all of the above mentioned psychological aspects of functioning of the self-injured. There were significant decreases in the level of emotions directed toward the 'self' and in the components of social competence dealing with intimate relations and assertiveness, as compared with healthy persons. Emotion-oriented strategy of dealing with stress became dominant in the self-injured. A decrease in social competence was appreciably intensified by stigma. Findings, however, failed to reveal changes in emotions directed toward the 'others', which may help explain good functioning in social exposure and everyday life situations of the self-injured.