In:
European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Springer Science and Business Media LLC, Vol. 30, No. 6 ( 2021-06), p. 937-951
Kurzfassung:
Adolescent self-injury is a widespread public health problem, but long-term longitudinal studies from European countries are rare. Self-injury in males and sex differences are poorly understood. This study describes the prevalence, frequency, age-related course, and recurrence of, and mental health services use related to adolescent self-injury. Data came from a Swiss prospective-longitudinal cohort study ( N = 1482). Adolescents (52% male) reported frequency of self-injury and mental health services use (including reasons for and types of services use, hospitalizations) at ages 13, 15, 17, and 20. Between ages 13–20, 27% of adolescents reported self-injury at least once. In males, prevalence decreased from 12 to 5%; in females self-injury peaked at age 15 (16%) and then decreased (11% at age 20). In males, recurrence of self-injury increased after age 15 (from odds ratio [OR] 〈 3 to OR 〉 10); in females, recurrence was high from age 13 onwards (OR 〉 5). Predictors of recurrence included childhood/early adolescent internalizing symptoms and early self-injury onset. Typically, less than half of adolescents with self-injury used mental health services. Males with self-injury used services mainly for externalizing problems, learning difficulties, and attention/concentration problems; females for depression or self-injury, family problems, and victimization. Types of services used changed with age, and adolescents with self-injury had increased rates of hospitalization. There are notable sex differences in the longitudinal course of self-injury and reasons for related mental health services use. Treating early internalizing symptoms could be a promising target for preventing recurrent self-injury. Males are at particular risk of not receiving adequate treatment for self-injury.
Materialart:
Online-Ressource
ISSN:
1018-8827
,
1435-165X
DOI:
10.1007/s00787-020-01573-w
Sprache:
Englisch
Verlag:
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Publikationsdatum:
2021
ZDB Id:
1463026-6
SSG:
5,2
