TY - JOUR PY - 2024// TI - Identifying high-risk subgroups for self-harm in adolescents and young adults: a longitudinal latent class analysis of risk factors JO - Journal of affective disorders A1 - McEvoy, David A1 - Brannigan, Ross A1 - Walsh, Cathal A1 - Arensman, Ella A1 - Clarke, Mary SP - ePub EP - ePub VL - ePub IS - ePub N2 - BACKGROUND: Self-harm is a major public health concern in young people and is governed by a complex interaction of different risk factors. While many studies have identified these risk factors, less is known about how they tend to co-occur together.

METHODS: A latent class analysis was conducted using risk factors for self-harm from two waves at ages 13 and 17 from the Growing Up in Ireland (GUI) study and examined their associations with self-harm longitudinally at ages 17 and 20, respectively.

RESULTS: At age 13, there was a 'peer problems' group with higher probabilities of bullying, being unpopular and internalising problems and a 'school and substance use problems' group with higher probabilities of substance use, truancy or excessive absence from school and violence. Both of these two groups had over a two-fold risk of self-harm at age 17 in comparison to the low risk factor group. At age 17, there was a group with depression that was diagnosed by a medical professional with the highest relative risk (RR:13.9 (95 % CI 10.2-19.0)) of self-harm at age 20. Two other groups with undiagnosed depression had high probabilities of being bullied, and either high or low probabilities of substance use that had a 9.4 (95 % CI 6.8-13.1) and 7.4 (95 % CI 5.5-10.0) relative risk of self-harm at age 20, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS: Identifying hidden sub-groups using risk factors for self-harm in young people can inform potential public health interventions by clinicians and other professionals who work with young people.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 0165-0327 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2024.01.230 ID - ref1 ER -