Adverse childhood experiences, self-compassion, and self-harming behavior in adolescents with substance use disorders

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between adverse childhood experiences, self-compassion, and self-harming behavior in adolescents diagnosed with substance use disorder. The study included 63 adolescents from Türkiye who had been diagnosed with a substance use disorder. To assess the predictive effects of childhood adversity and self-compassion on self-harming behavior, multiple hierarchical regression analyses were conducted. The participants had a mean age of 15.57±1.32, and 52.4% (n=33) were male. The findings revealed that demographic factors, such as age and gender, did not significantly predict self-harming behavior. However, when adverse childhood experiences were added to the model, emotional abuse and neglect emerged as significant positive predictors of self-harm. In the final step, self-compassion was incorporated into the model, and the overall predictors accounted for approximately 18% of the variance in self-harming behavior. This additional change in R² was significant, with emotional abuse, neglect, and self-compassion all serving as significant predictors of self-harming behavior. These findings suggest that emotional abuse, neglect, and self-compassion play a crucial role in self-harming behavior among adolescents with substance use disorder. In this context, self-compassion-based interventions may be beneficial in reducing self-harming behavior following adverse childhood experiences.