@article{ref1,
title="Adolescent self-cutting elsewhere than on the arms reveals more serious psychiatric symptoms",
journal="European child and adolescent psychiatry",
year="2013",
author="Laukkanen, Eila and Rissanen, Marja-Liisa and Tolmunen, Tommi and Kylma, Jari and Hintikka, Jukka",
volume="22",
number="8",
pages="501-510",
abstract="Self-cutting as a form of self-harm is a common and multifaceted phenomenon among adolescents. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the location of self-cutting (arms or other areas of the body) could help to assess the severity of the underlying psychiatric problems. A sample of adolescents who reported self-cutting (n = 440) was drawn from a large sample of community adolescents (n = 4,019). The majority of self-cutting adolescents, 296 (67.2 %), reported cutting only the upper arms, while 144 (32.8 %) also cut other parts of the body. The data included a structured self-rating questionnaire, questions about self-cutting, the Youth Self-Report (YSR) for adolescents aged 11-18 years, the Beck Depression Inventory, the Toronto Alexithymia Scale and the Adolescent Dissociative Experience Scale (A-DES). The results indicate that self-cutting on other parts of body than the arms was associated with female gender, a wide range of emotional and dissociative symptoms and suicidal ideation. In logistic regression analysis, the most pronounced association between self-cutting on other places than the arms was found with YSR subscales withdrawn/depressed, social problems and thought problems, and dissociation (A-DES). We conclude that self-cutting adolescents, mostly girls, with wounds elsewhere than on the arms present with the most serious psychiatric symptoms. It is important to perform a careful physical examination when an adolescent has unexplained wounds or scars on the arms or on other parts of the body. These adolescents also need a caring and conscientious psychiatric examination and possible psychiatric treatment.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1018-8827",
doi="10.1007/s00787-013-0390-1",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00787-013-0390-1"
}