Childhood adversity, pubertal timing and self-harm: a longitudinal cohort study

Area of Science:

• Developmental Psychology
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Early childhood adversity is a known risk factor for later self-harm.
• The specific pathways linking adversity to self-harm remain unclear.
• Early puberty is associated with increased adolescent self-harm risk, suggesting a potential mediating role.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether early pubertal timing mediates the association between childhood adversity and later self-harm.
• To examine the relationship between cumulative childhood adversity and self-harm.
• To analyze the independent effects of childhood adversity and pubertal timing on self-harm.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from 6698 participants in a UK population-based birth cohort (ALSPAC).
• Measured exposure to nine types of adversity from ages 0-9 years.
• Assessed self-harm at ages 16 and 21, with pubertal timing measured by age at peak height velocity (aPHV) and age at menarche (AAM).
• Employed generalized structural equation modeling for analysis.

Main Results:

• Each additional type of adversity increased the risk of self-harm by 12-14% by age 16.
• Stronger relative risk (RR) estimates were observed for direct effects on self-harm with suicidal intent.
• No evidence supported early pubertal timing as a mediator between childhood adversity and later self-harm [indirect effect RR 1.00 for aPHV and AAM].

Conclusions:

• Cumulative childhood adversity does not increase self-harm risk through early pubertal timing.
• Both childhood adversity and early puberty are independently identified as risk factors for later self-harm.
• Further research is needed to uncover mechanisms linking childhood adversity and self-harm to inform effective interventions.