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. 2015 Nov;57(5):537-44.
doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2015.07.017.

Incidence and Course of Adolescent Deliberate Self-Harm in Victoria, Australia, and Washington State

Jessica A Heerde  1 , John W Toumbourou  2 , Sheryl A Hemphill  3 , Todd I Herrenkohl  4 , George C Patton  5 , Richard F Catalano  6
Affiliations

Incidence and Course of Adolescent Deliberate Self-Harm in Victoria, Australia, and Washington State

Jessica A Heerde et al. J Adolesc Health. 2015 Nov.

Abstract

Purpose: There have been few longitudinal studies of deliberate self-harm (DSH) in adolescents. This cross-national longitudinal study outlines risk and protective factors for DSH incidence and persistence.

Methods: Seventh and ninth grade students (average ages 13 and 15 years) were recruited as state-representative cohorts, surveyed, and then followed up 12 months later (N = 3,876), using the same methods in Washington State and Victoria, Australia. The retention rate was 99% in both states at follow-up. A range of risk and protective factors for DSH were examined using multivariate analyses.

Results: The prevalence of DSH in the past year was 1.53% in Grade 7 and .91% in Grade 9 for males and 4.12% and 1.34% for Grade 7 and Grade 9 females, respectively, with similar rates across states. In multivariate analyses, incident DSH was lower in Washington State (odds ratio [OR] = .67; 95% confidence interval [CI] = .45-1.00) relative to Victoria 12 months later. Risk factors for incident DSH included being female (OR = 1.93; CI = 1.35-2.76), high depressive symptoms (OR = 3.52; CI = 2.37-5.21), antisocial behavior (OR = 2.42; CI = 1.46-4.00), and lifetime (OR = 1.85; CI = 1.11-3.08) and past month (OR = 2.70; CI = 1.57-4.64) alcohol use relative to never using alcohol.

Conclusions: Much self-harm in adolescents resolves over the course of 12 months. Young people who self-harm have high rates of other health risk behaviors associated with family and peer risks that may all be targets for preventive intervention.

Keywords: Adolescence; Cross-national; Deliberate self-harm; Longitudinal; Protective factors; Risk factors.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Prevalence, incidence, and persistence of DSH among students in grade 7
Note. T1 = baseline, T2 = follow-up, DSH = deliberate self-harm. VIC = Victoria, WASH == Washington State, CS = Combined Sample. Incidence = T2 DSH/T1 no DSH, Persistence = T2 DSH/T1 DSH; *p <.05 (see text for description of comparisons).
Figure 2
Figure 2. Prevalence, incidence, and persistence of DSH among students in grade 9
Note. T1 = baseline, T2 = follow-up, DSH = deliberate self-harm. VIC = Victoria, WASH == Washington State, CS = Combined Sample. Incidence = T2 DSH/T1 no DSH, Persistence = T2 DSH/T1 DSH; *p <.05 (females higher than males in the combined samples: DSH T2; DSH Incidence).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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