Parental and community risk factors for childhood self-harm thoughts and behaviours

Kirstie O'Hare, Oliver Watkeys, Tyson Whitten, Kimberlie Dean, Kristin R Laurens, Felicity Harris, Vaughan J Carr, Melissa J Green

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

3 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Background: Childhood self-harm is rare but increasing in frequency. Little is known about risk factors specifically for self-harm in preteen children.

Methods: We examined self-harm thoughts and behaviours in children aged 3–14 years in association with parental and community-level risk factors, using a large general population-based record linkage sample (n = 74,479).

Results: Parental factors were strongly associated with childhood self-harm, with over three-quarters of children with self-harm having a parent with a history of mental disorder and/or criminal offending. Community-level factors (socioeconomic deprivation, remote or regional location, and neighbourhood crime rate) were not associated with childhood self-harm after adjustment for confounding factors.

Limitations: Measures of self-harm thoughts and behaviours derived from administrative data likely underestimate the prevalence of self-harm in the population.

Conclusions: Intergenerational transmission of risk factors is likely an important contributor to childhood self-harm.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)279-283
Number of pages5
JournalJournal of Affective Disorders
Volume310
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 01 Aug 2022

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