Document Detail


Deliberate self-harm within an international community sample of young people: comparative findings from the Child & Adolescent Self-harm in Europe (CASE) Study.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  18341543     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
BACKGROUND: Deliberate self-harm among young people is an important focus of policy and practice internationally. Nonetheless, there is little reliable comparative international information on its extent or characteristics. We have conducted a seven-country comparative community study of deliberate self-harm among young people. METHOD: Over 30,000 mainly 15- and 16-year-olds completed anonymous questionnaires at school in Australia, Belgium, England, Hungary, Ireland, the Netherlands and Norway. Study criteria were developed to identify episodes of self-harm; the prevalence of self-harm acts and thoughts, methods used, repetition, reasons given, premeditation, setting for the act, associations with alcohol and drugs, hospitalisation, and whether other people knew, were examined. RESULTS: Self-harm was more than twice as common among females as males and, in four of the seven countries, at least one in ten females had harmed herself in the previous year. Additional young people had thought of harming themselves without doing so. More males and females in all countries except Hungary cut themselves than used any other method, most acts took place at home, and alcohol and illegal drugs were not usually involved. The most common reasons given were 'to get relief from a terrible state of mind' followed by 'to die', although there were differences between those cutting themselves and those taking overdoses. About half the young people decided to harm themselves in the hour before doing so, and many did not attend hospital or tell anyone else. Just over half those who had harmed themselves during the previous year reported more than one episode over their lifetime. CONCLUSIONS: Deliberate self-harm is a widespread yet often hidden problem in adolescents, especially females, which shows both similarities and differences internationally.
Authors:
Nicola Madge; Anthea Hewitt; Keith Hawton; Erik Jan de Wilde; Paul Corcoran; Sandor Fekete; Kees van Heeringen; Diego De Leo; Mette Ystgaard
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Comparative Study; Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't     Date:  2008-03-10
Journal Detail:
Title:  Journal of child psychology and psychiatry, and allied disciplines     Volume:  49     ISSN:  1469-7610     ISO Abbreviation:  J Child Psychol Psychiatry     Publication Date:  2008 Jun 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2008-05-20     Completed Date:  2008-07-08     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  0375361     Medline TA:  J Child Psychol Psychiatry     Country:  England    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  667-77     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
School of Health Sciences and Social Care, Brunel University, Uxbridge, UK. nicola.madge@brunel.ac.uk
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Adolescent
Alcoholism / diagnosis,  epidemiology,  psychology
Cross-Cultural Comparison*
Cross-Sectional Studies
Europe
Female
Health Surveys
Humans
Male
Overdose / diagnosis,  epidemiology,  psychology
Recurrence
Self-Injurious Behavior / diagnosis,  epidemiology*,  psychology
Sex Factors
Substance-Related Disorders / diagnosis,  epidemiology,  psychology
Suicide, Attempted / psychology,  statistics & numerical data

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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