Incidence and Course of Adolescent Deliberate Self-Harm in Victoria, Australia, and Washington State

Jessica A Heerde; John W Toumbourou; Sheryl A Hemphill; Todd I Herrenkohl; George C Patton; Richard F Catalano

doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2015.07.017

Incidence and Course of Adolescent Deliberate Self-Harm in Victoria, Australia, and Washington State

J Adolesc Health. 2015 Nov;57(5):537-44. doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2015.07.017.

Authors

Jessica A Heerde¹, John W Toumbourou², Sheryl A Hemphill³, Todd I Herrenkohl⁴, George C Patton⁵, Richard F Catalano⁶

Affiliations

¹ Learning Sciences Institute Australia, Australian Catholic University, Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia; School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong Waterfront Campus, Geelong, Victoria, Australia. Electronic address: jessica.heerde@acu.edu.au.
² Research Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong Waterfront Campus, Geelong, Victoria, Australia; Centre for Adolescent Health, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Flemington, Victoria, Australia.
³ Learning Sciences Institute Australia, Australian Catholic University, Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia; Centre for Adolescent Health, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Flemington, Victoria, Australia; School of Psychology, Australian Catholic University, Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; School of Psychology, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia.
⁴ University of Washington School of Social Work, Seattle, Washington.
⁵ Centre for Adolescent Health, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Flemington, Victoria, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
⁶ Social Development Research Group, School of Social Work, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington.

Abstract

Purpose: There have been few longitudinal studies of deliberate self-harm (DSH) in adolescents. This cross-national longitudinal study outlines risk and protective factors for DSH incidence and persistence.

Methods: Seventh and ninth grade students (average ages 13 and 15 years) were recruited as state-representative cohorts, surveyed, and then followed up 12 months later (N = 3,876), using the same methods in Washington State and Victoria, Australia. The retention rate was 99% in both states at follow-up. A range of risk and protective factors for DSH were examined using multivariate analyses.

Results: The prevalence of DSH in the past year was 1.53% in Grade 7 and .91% in Grade 9 for males and 4.12% and 1.34% for Grade 7 and Grade 9 females, respectively, with similar rates across states. In multivariate analyses, incident DSH was lower in Washington State (odds ratio [OR] = .67; 95% confidence interval [CI] = .45-1.00) relative to Victoria 12 months later. Risk factors for incident DSH included being female (OR = 1.93; CI = 1.35-2.76), high depressive symptoms (OR = 3.52; CI = 2.37-5.21), antisocial behavior (OR = 2.42; CI = 1.46-4.00), and lifetime (OR = 1.85; CI = 1.11-3.08) and past month (OR = 2.70; CI = 1.57-4.64) alcohol use relative to never using alcohol.

Conclusions: Much self-harm in adolescents resolves over the course of 12 months. Young people who self-harm have high rates of other health risk behaviors associated with family and peer risks that may all be targets for preventive intervention.

Keywords: Adolescence; Cross-national; Deliberate self-harm; Longitudinal; Protective factors; Risk factors.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adolescent Behavior*
Depression / epidemiology
Family Relations / psychology
Female
Humans
Incidence
Logistic Models
Male
Multivariate Analysis
Prevalence
Risk Factors
Self-Injurious Behavior / epidemiology*
Surveys and Questionnaires
Victoria / epidemiology
Washington / epidemiology

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding