Depressive symptoms in a case series of incarcerated delinquent children and young adolescents with non-suicidal self-injury experience in Sulaymaniyah, Iraq

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of depression among incarcerated delinquent children and young adolescents with a history of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), as well as to identify the primary reasons for NSSI among these individuals in the city of Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan Region, Iraq. METHODS: This study was a case series and was conducted at one of the juvenile detention centers (JDCs) in the city of Sulaymaniyah in the year 2023. The study utilized a census approach and included 50 cases with a history of self-injury. The Birleson Depression Self-Rating Scale (DSRS) was used to collect data related to depression, while a researcher-developed checklist was utilized to identify the primary reasons for NSSI. Independent t-tests were performed to compare mean depression scores across sociodemographic groups. The significance level in this study was set at P < 0.05. The analyses were conducted using Stata software. RESULTS: The age of participants ranged from 13 to 17 years, with a mean age of 15.7 years. All participants in this study were boys. The mean depression score for all participants was 26.42 with a standard deviation (SD) of 6.38. Using a DSRS cutoff score of 15 points as a risk of depression, the scores of 92% of the subjects exceeded the cutoff. Among the variables examined, only a history of drug abuse showed a significant association with depression. The three main reasons, with the highest percentages, in descending order, were "To release emotional pressure that builds up inside of me" (75%), "To control how I am feeling" (66%), and "To get rid of intolerable emotions" (61%). CONCLUSION: A high percentage of incarcerated delinquent children and young adolescents with NSSI have symptoms of depression, which should be given special and immediate attention by health policymakers. It is recommended that the findings of this study be used in designing psychological and educational programs and interventions to reduce NSSI among children and young adolescents.