Citation

O'Connor RC, Rasmussen S, Hawton KE. Suicide Life Threat. Behav. 2009; 39(4): 364-375.

Affiliation

Department of Psychology, University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland. ro2@stir.ac.uk

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, American Association of Suicidology, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1521/suli.2009.39.4.364

PMID

19792978

Abstract

Few studies have investigated the extent to which psychosocial/psychological factors are associated with the prediction of deliberate self-harm (DSH) among adolescents. In this study, 737 pupils aged 15-16 years completed a lifestyle and coping survey at time one and 500 were followed up six months later. Six point two percent of the respondents (n = 31) reported an act of DSH between Time 1 and Time 2. In multivariate analyses, worries about sexual orientation, history of sexual abuse, family DSH, anxiety, and self-esteem were associated with repeat DSH during the course of the study, but history of sexual abuse was the only factor predictive of first-time DSH. The findings suggest that school-based programs focused on how young people cope with psychosocial stressors may offer promise.

Language: en