Abstract

Adolescents who had experienced self-harm and suicidal behaviors were surveyed to identify factors that reduced self-harm. A list of protective factors categorized biopsychosocially was presented to 37 participants. Participants were asked to rate the importance of each factor and to suggest additional protective factors through three surveys. The results showed that 7 psychological and 15 social factors were protective. Of the psychological factors, three were related to positive attitudes toward life, two were related to positive self-perception, and two were related to coping ability. Of the social factors, six were related to family, four were related to peers, and five were related to other supportive people. The identified factors reflect adolescents’ desire for support in alleviating problems that drive them to self-harm. These factors can be used to establish intervention goals in counseling and school setting.