The role of personality organization and attachment styles in tendency of adolescence toward self – harm behaviors and suicide

Introduction: Adolescence who have self-harm behaviors (SHS) or tendency to suicide experience different psychopathological problems. Two potential critical risk factors - insecure attachment and especially borderline personality organization- have been underexplored in the literature despite the fact that both of these structures are central to understanding these problematic behaviors. The objective of this research was to explore the association between adolescent insecure attachment and borderline personality organization with self- harm behaviors and tendency to suicide. Methods: This study was a correlation design. Sample group which was selected through multi-stage cluster sampling included 700 students from high schools of Tehran, district 16 in Academic year 2017-2018. All participants were asked to complete questionnaire pack including: Self-Harm behavior Inventory, Multi-Attitude Suicide Tendency Scale, and Personality Organization Inventory. Data was analyzed by Pearson correlation method and using the SPSS-21 software. Results: The results illustrated a significant correlation between insecure attachment style and borderline personality organization with self- harm behaviors (SHB) and tendency to suicide. Conclusion: Findings of the current study are consistent with previous studies and theoretical stance indicating the predictability of self- harm behaviors / suicide tendency indices from quality of attachment style and personality organization in adolescence.