Clinical Features of Adolescents With Deliberate Self-Harm: a Case Control Study in Lisbon, Portugal

This study described characteristic clinical features of Portuguese adolescents with deliberate self-harm. A case-control study was constructed from a sample of 100 adolescents, aged 12-21 years. 98 subjects completed the protocol. The deliberate self-harm group was associated with the following characteristics: suicide ideation or suicidal behaviour as consultation motive; emergency room referral; previous follow-up attempts; suicide ideation; psychosocial difficulties; or lack of therapeutic goals. An integrated approach to prevention, which takes into account psychosocial difficulties, family dysfunction, & negative expectations, seems to be of great importance. (29 refs.)