%0 Journal Article
%T Deliberate self-harm in children and adolescents: association with social deprivation
%J European child and adolescent psychiatry
%D 2003
%A Ayton, Agnes
%A Rasool, Hufrize
%A Cottrell, David
%V 12
%N 6
%P 303-307
%X BACKGROUND: It has been demonstrated that adult suicidal behaviour is associated with unemployment and social deprivation. The association between self-harm and social deprivation in young people is less clear. AIMS: To examine the relationship between social deprivation and deliberate self-harm in children and adolescents in an UK district. METHOD: Computer records of patients under 18 years of age presenting with self-harm at the district casualty department were analysed in Hull and East Yorkshire. The relationship with social deprivation was examined using Townsend scores. RESULTS: 730 young people presented with self-harm during a period of two years. Socio-economic deprivation was associated with overdose, self-injury, and poisoning by illicit substances. After controlling for the proportion of single parent households, moving households with children, and adult long-term sickness in each ward, partial correlations remained significant between overdose, self-injury, and Townsend scores. CONCLUSIONS: The results highlight the importance of socio-economic deprivation in the aetiology of deliberate self-harm in young people. Primary and secondary prevention programs cannot be successful without taking this into consideration.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>
%G en
%I Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group
%@ 1018-8827
%U http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00787-003-0344-0