Development and Effects of a Self-Determination Improvement Program for Preventing Non-Suicidal Self-Injury in Adolescents: A Pilot Study

Purpose: The aims of this study were to develop a self-determination theory (SDT)-based self-determination improvement program for adolescents with a history of non-suicidal self-injury and to examine the effects of the program on basic psychological needs (i.e. autonomy, competence, and relationship), self-esteem, and non-suicidal self-injury.Methods: This study consisted of a one-group pretest-posttest design. The participants were 33 students in the first and second years of middle school, who were recruited from five middle schools located in a specific area. The participants had a history of non-suicidal self-injury. The experimental group received the SDT-based self-determination improvement program twice a week for 4 weeks. The study was carried out from October 4 to November 26, 2021, and data were analyzed using SPSS for Windows version 25.0 with the paired t-test.Results: The SDT-based self-determination improvement program was effective for basic psychological needs, self-esteem, and non-suicidal self-injury prevention in adolescents with a history of non-suicidal self-injury.Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that the SDT-based self-determination improvement program can be used as an effective mental health nursing intervention to improve basic psychological needs and self-esteem and to prevent non-suicidal self-injury in adolescents with a history of non-suicidal self-injury.