A study in the journal Pediatrics describes four profiles that can help doctors better identify children at increased risk for self-harm. The profiles could complement other assessment methods.

From the observation of 1,098 children and adolescents aged 5 to 18 years, the following profiles can be derived

• Boys aged 10 to 13 years were at very high risk for ADHD, bipolar disorder, autism spectrum disorders and other developmental disorders.
• Girls aged 14-17 years were also at high risk for depression and anxiety associated with substance abuse and trauma sequelae disorders. Personality disorders and eating disorders also played a role in this profile.
• Adolescents with depressive symptoms were at medium risk.
• Children aged 5 to 9 years without mental illness, trauma and mood, behavioural, psychotic, developmental or substance-related disorders were at low risk.

"It is very difficult to predict which children are at risk for suicide or self-harming behaviour in the emergency department. Our study offers a new approach that takes into account and assesses the entire medical and psychiatric profile of the child," says Prof. Dr James Antoon of the Monroe Carell Jr. His colleague Mert Sekmen adds: "There are many factors at play in children who self-harm, from individual, family and social support to certain life events. Psychiatric diagnoses are a known risk factor for self-harm. For example, 70 per cent of children who die by suicide have more than two psychiatric diagnoses".

Quelle: DOI 10.1542/peds.2022-059817