@article{ref1,
title="Pubertal Stage and Deliberate Self-Harm in Adolescents",
journal="Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry",
year="2007",
author="Patton, George C. and Hemphill, Sheryl A. and Beyers, J. M. and Bond, Lyndal and Toumbourou, John W. and McMorris, Barbara J. and Catalano, Richard F.",
volume="46",
number="4",
pages="508-514",
abstract="OBJECTIVE:: To ascertain the association between pubertal stage and deliberate self-harm. METHOD:: Cross-sectional survey of 12- to 15-year-olds in 300 secondary schools in the U.S. state of Washington in February-April 2002 and the Australian state of Victoria in June-August 2002. A total of 3,332 students in grades 7 and 9 provided complete data on episodes of deliberate self-harm in the previous 12 months and pubertal stage. Pubertal stage was assessed with the Pubertal Development Scale. RESULTS:: The prevalence of deliberate self-harm was 3.7% with a more than twofold higher rate in females. Late puberty was associated with a more than fourfold higher rate of self-harm (odds ratio 4.6, 95% confidence interval 1.5-14) after adjustment for age and school grade level. In contrast age had a protective association (odds ratio 0.7, confidence interval 0.4-1.0). The sharpest rises in prevalence across puberty were for self-laceration and self-poisoning in females. Higher rates of depressive symptoms, frequent alcohol use, and initiation of sexual activity largely accounted for the association between self-harm and pubertal stage in multivariate models. CONCLUSIONS:: Puberty is associated with changes in the form and frequency of self-harm. For adolescents with a gap between puberty and brain development, risk factors such as early sexual activity and substance abuse may be particularly potent.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0890-8567",
doi="10.1097/chi.0b013e31803065c7",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/chi.0b013e31803065c7"
}