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Why Do Adolescents Self-Harm?

Susan Rasmussen1, Keith Hawton2, Sion Philpott-Morgan1

  • 11 School of Psychological Sciences and Health, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK.

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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Adolescents often self-harm to relieve distress. This motive predicts future self-harm, underscoring the need for emotional regulation support in schools.

Keywords:
adolescentmotivesreasonsrepetitionself-harm

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Area of Science:

  • Adolescent Psychology
  • Mental Health Research
  • Behavioral Science

Background:

  • High rates of adolescent self-harm necessitate understanding underlying motives.
  • Research is exploring the complex reasons behind self-harm behaviors in young people.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Identify prevalent self-harm motives in adolescents.
  • Determine if baseline motives predict 6-month self-harm repetition.
  • Examine gender differences in self-harm motives.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 987 adolescents (aged 14-16) completed questionnaires at baseline and 6-month follow-up.
  • Data collected included self-harm incidents and associated motives.
  • Statistical analyses, including regression, were used to examine predictors of self-harm repetition.

Main Results:

  • The primary motive for self-harm was 'to get relief from a terrible state of mind' for both genders.
  • Interpersonal motives, such as 'to frighten someone,' were least common.
  • Adolescents reporting the 'relief from distress' motive at baseline were significantly more likely to self-harm again at follow-up.

Conclusions:

  • Self-harm in adolescents is complex, driven by emotional distress.
  • Findings emphasize the importance of emotional regulation skills and help-seeking behaviors in educational settings.
  • Targeted interventions addressing emotional distress may help prevent self-harm repetition.