TY - JOUR PY - 2022// TI - The incidence of self-harm ingestions in adolescents and young adults at a tertiary care center between January 2019-March 2022 JO - American journal of emergency medicine A1 - McCabe, Daniel J. A1 - Egan, Haley M. A1 - Theiler, Carly A. SP - 50 EP - 54 VL - 63 IS - N2 - BACKGROUND: There has been an increasing incidence of self-harm attempts in recent years in the United States. Particularly concerning, there has been a growing trend of self-harm in the adolescent and young adult population. In order to inform initiatives to address this trend, risk factors and substances used for self-harm need to be clarified.

METHODS: This is a descriptive retrospective observational study on all cases of self-harm poisoning in patients between the ages of 12 and 25 years reported at the state's only tertiary care center from January 2019 through March 2022.

RESULTS: There was an increased incidence of 69% for self-harm poisonings for all ages and a 90% increase in ages 12-17 years between the years 2019 and 2021. Fifty percent of all cases occurred in patients aged 14-17 years, 69% were female, and 22% required an intensive care unit. The top three most common substances used are available without a prescription.

DISCUSSION: There was a persistent increase in self-harm attempts via poisoning throughout the study period with a particularly vulnerable period in the adolescent age group.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 0735-6757 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ajem.2022.10.031 ID - ref1 ER -