@article{ref1,
title="Cutaneous deliberate self-harm in Polish school teenagers: An inter-disciplinary challenge",
journal="Acta dermato-venereologica",
year="2014",
author="Gmitrowicz, Agnieszka and Zalewska-Janowska, Anna and Kropiwnicki, Pawel and Kostulski, Adrian",
volume="94",
number="4",
pages="448-453",
abstract="Self-harm of the skin is a complex problem encountered mainly in adolescents and young adults. The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of deliberate cutaneous self-harm without suicidal intent among secondary school teenagers of the Lodz region. A self-administered specially designed anonymous questionnaire was delivered to 1,448 secondary school teenagers, aged 12-19 years. The lifetime prevalence of self-reported deliberate self-harm was 19.5%, out of which 14.4% confirmed isolated cutaneous self-injury (self-cutting in the vast majority of cases), 1.7% ingested a substance or drug in excessive amounts and 3.5% declared both behaviours. Our results indicate that skin is the organ most commonly involved in deliberate self-harm. Dermatologists, especially those focussed on dermatosurgery and aesthetic dermatology, should understand the special issues relating to such patients before taking decisions concerning performing any procedures on these individuals, since deliberate self-harm has been recognised as one of the main risk factors of suicide.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0001-5555",
doi="10.2340/00015555-1690",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.2340/00015555-1690"
}