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Deliberate self-harm in adolescents screening positive for attention-deficit / hyperactivity disorder: a
Amalie Austgulen1, Maj-Britt Posserud2,3, Mari Hysing4,5
1Department of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway. aau019@uib.no.
Adolescents with elevated attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms, even without a diagnosis, show a significantly higher risk of self-harm. This highlights the need for clinical awareness of ADHD symptoms in adolescent self-harm risk assessment.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Adolescent Health
- Mental Health Research
Background:
- Adolescents with diagnosed Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) have a known increased risk for self-harm.
- The risk associated with elevated ADHD symptoms, without a formal diagnosis, remains understudied.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the correlation between self-reported ADHD symptoms and self-harm behaviors in a general adolescent population.
- To identify if adolescents screening positive for ADHD symptoms are at a higher risk for self-harm.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the youth@hordaland study, including the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS) and Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (SMFQ).
- Defined ADHD-screen positive (ADHD-SC+) as severe problems on ≥4 of 6 ASRS items; high depressive symptoms as SMFQ score ≥12.
- Assessed self-harm history, including overdose and deliberate self-harm, using criteria from the Child and Adolescent Self-harm in Europe (CASE) Study.
Main Results:
- Out of 9692 adolescents, 24.7% screened positive for ADHD (ADHD-SC+).
- ADHD-SC+ adolescents were more likely to engage in self-harm (14.6% vs. 5.4%) and overdose (OR=1.52).
- The association between ADHD-SC+ and self-harm remained significant after adjusting for covariates (OR=1.58).
Conclusions:
- Adolescents screening positive for ADHD symptoms face an elevated risk of self-harm.
- Clinicians should consider the heightened risk in adolescents presenting with significant ADHD symptoms, irrespective of a formal diagnosis.
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