Risk Factors for Self-Harm in Adolescents Admitted Into an Inpatient Unit

 

Risk Factors for Self-Harm in Adolescents Admitted Into an Inpatient Unit: A Review of the Literature

           All over the world suicide rates among adolescents is increasing. Some adolescent’s complete suicide and others attempt suicide. For those that engage in self-harming behaviors; attempt suicide but do not die, they are often brought to an emergency room or an inpatient unit for treatment and care. Events like these not only affect the individual, but they affect the family and the community. In fact, it often leaves adults wondering: Why? What did I miss? What are the risk factors for self-harm? How can I help? 

Any adolescent is vulnerable to thoughts of suicide, but not all adolescents attempt suicide. Adolescents that are high risk for attempting suicide, or self-harming behaviors, are the ones that have a predisposition (biological and psychological factors) to suicidal behavior, and they are unable to effectively cope with stressful events. A few examples of stressful events are: dealing with family problems, bullying at school, and relationship issues. According to Lislotte de Kloet, Jean Starling, Cassandra Hainsworth, Ellen Berntsen, Lucy Chapman, & Karen Hancock (2011), “increasing age, female gender, a history of trauma and a diagnosis of depression are well known risk factors for self-harm,” but there study confirmed that “family factors, in particular living with a step parent significantly add to the risk” (p.749). Therefore, it might be beneficial for parents to provide their children with counseling if they are going through a separation or divorce. 

The study reviewed the records for 294 adolescent inpatient patients over a three year period; in order to, “describe risk factors for self-harm for children and adolescents in a mental health inpatient unit” (Kloet et al., 2011, p.751). The researches divided the participants into two groups: patients that self-harmed and patients that didn’t self-harm. The patients admitted for self-injurious behaviors were 150, and the behaviors that they displayed were cutting, poising, strangling, hitting, and harming themselves. The patients reported that they harmed themselves to relieve unwanted feelings. Also, there were 56 patients in the psychiatric unit that were not there for self-harming behaviors, and these patients were considered the control group. That means that they did not attempt suicide, and that they did not attempt to injure themselves.

             According to the study, there are many treatment options but there is no specific program that is mentioned as being effective. The authors express that the knowledge and information contained in the study can be used to develop an effective program. However, they do not give any details on how this can be done.  On the other hand, the report does strongly encourage that that adolescents receive early intervention services for self-harming behaviors before the symptoms escalate to requiring the adolescent to be admitted into a mental health unit. So for right now, the best thing to do is to make sure that adolescents that are self-harming themselves are referred to see a mental health counselor or the school counselor.

References

 

Kloet, D. L., Starling, J., Hainsworth C., Berntsen, C., Chapman, L., & Hancock K. (2011). Risk factors for self-harm in children and adolescents admitted to a mental health inpatient unit. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 45, 173-181. doi: 10.3109/00048674.2011.595682