One in twelve teens self-harm during their adolescent years,
with 15 years of age identified as the most likely age for self
harm, a new study from the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute and
Kings College in London has found.
However, the study found most young people give up self-harming
behaviour as they enter into adulthood; attributed to the fact they
develop different ways of dealing with difficult emotions.
The study, which was published inThe Lancet, found 10% of
females reported self-harm at least once during adolescence,
compared with 6% of males, translating to a 60% increased risk of
self-harm in girls compared with boys.
As part of the study, almost 2,000 Victorian students were asked
about recent self-harm on four occasions during their teenage
years, and were followed up from early adolescence through to their
late 20's. At each follow up, females were more likely to self-harm
than males.
Of the students questioned, the great majority only reported
self-harm in adolescence. Of those who self-harmed as
teenagers, 90% had ceased harming by their twenties. All forms of
self harm including taking overdoses and cutting become less common
in the late teens and twenties
The study found during adolescence, self-harm was independently
associated with symptoms of depression and anxiety (3.7 times
increased risk compared with no depression or anxiety), anti-social
behaviour (doubling of risk), high risk alcohol use (doubling of
risk) and cigarette smoke (2.4 times increased risk). Adolescent
symptoms of depression and anxiety also predicted later self-harm
in young adulthood, even in those who had not harmed as a teenager.
Professor George Patton from the Murdoch Childrens Research
Institute said the findings should offer some reassurance to
parents of adolescents who self harm, but it's important to
recognise when treatment is needed.
"The study found most of this self-harming that happens during
adolescence resolves without medical intervention, probably as
young people learn new strategies for avoiding or dealing with
distressing emotions. However, associated mental health problems
did not always resolve in the same way," he said.
"Although many young people work out ways of dealing with
emotional problems, there is need for treatment when these problems
are persisting. We found that adolescents with high levels of
depression and anxiety continued to have high risks for self harm
into young adulthood. It's important to recognise and treat
persisting depression and anxiety, as this will continue to be an
important part of suicide prevention in young adults."
The study is the first population-based study to examine the
incidence and prevalence of self harm during the transition from
late adolescence through to adulthood.