A study conducted by Cambridge University finds that teenagers at greatest risk of self-harming could be identified almost a decade earlier. You can find the original article here: Teenagers at greatest risk of self-harming could be identified almost a decade earlier
In order to explore self-harming tendencies among adolescents, researchers at Cambridge University used data from approximately 11,000 individuals aged 14, to identify those who reported self-harm and analyse risk factors from their childhood.
Risk factors like sleeping issues and low self-esteem were already known, but the team was also able to distinguish two different subgroups among these young people.
The first one included those who already suffered from mental health conditions and were likely to have caregivers suffering from the same, as well as those who dealt with bullying during their childhood, which are common factors around people who self-harm.
The second and larger group was made out of individuals whose self-harming behaviour wasn’t as easily predicted. Their indicators included tendency to engage in risk-taking behaviours and certain aspects of their relationships with others, like feeling insecure around family and friends at the age of 14 and being overly concerned about others feelings at the age of 11.
Researchers believe that these findings could help identify teenagers who are at risk of self-harming 10 years prior, giving people around them time to prevent that from happening.
Dr Duncan Astle shared :
“Our results suggest that boosting younger children’s self-esteem, making sure that schools implement anti-bullying measures, and providing advice on sleep training, could all help reduce self-harm levels years later.”
The Samaritans questioned their volunteers about self-harming tendencies they were noticing among callers. You can read the full article here: Coronavirus, young people and self-harm.
They reported that, in the past year, 35% of callers aged 18 and under discussed self-harm, in comparison to 7% of adults.
If you are someone who is struggling with self-harming thoughts, please contact Salus Wellness Clinics for a free consultation and to find out different treatments we can offer to you.