Vulnerability and Resilience: a Matched Case-Control Study of Psychosocial and Psychiatric Factors for Deliberate Self-Harm of Taiwanese Indigenous Peoples

Background: Deliberate self harm (DSH) is one of the most crucial predictors of suicide and has recently received increasing research attention. Little research has examined psychosocial and psychiatric risk factors for DSH, even fewer on indigenous Taiwanese. The preliminary results of a pilot study found that mental disorders, DSH history and family history were risk factors. On the other hand, interview data also indicated that cases showed some levels of resilience despite previous traumatic experiences. These findings merit further exploration. The aims of the study are: 1. to investigate psychosocial and psychiatric risk factors and to make comparison in different ethnic groups, 2. to identify factors associated with lethal self-harm methods, 3. to explore the possible constructs of resilience of indigenous Taiwanese. Methods: The study design is matched case-control. Non DSH individuals with the same gender, ethnic group, age group and neighbourhood will be selected as control. Participants are pan-Atayal residing in Yilan and Hualien counties, other counties with pan-Atayal communities will be included as well. The sample size is estimated to be 100 cases and 200 controls. Face to face interview will be conducted to collect participants’ psychiatric status, DSH, and psychosocial factors using structured and semi-structured questionnaires. Chi-square and T test, as well as regression analyses will be employed in quantitative data, the grounded theory in qualitative data. Expected achievement: It is hoped that the exploring of vulnerability and resilience using both qualitative and quantitative methods would inform us of the characteristics of DSH and lay a theoretical base of DSH and suicide prevention programmes for indigenous Taiwanese.