[Self-harm in children and adolescents]

Abstract

The present paper is a review of recent research on the prevalence of deliberate self-harm (DSH) in a non-clinical background population of adolescents during the period 2002-2008. Cutting and overdosing are the most common methods used, and the majority of adolescents engaging in DSH are girls. A problem in DSH is the fact that there is no well-established definition, which is necessary to ensure comparable prevalence estimates across cultures and to evaluate any changes over time.