Characteristics and Co-Occurrence of Adolescent Non-Suicidal Self-Injury and Suicidal Behaviours in Pediatric Emergency Crisis Services

This study evaluated clinical data from 468 youth, ages 12-17 years, to determine the incidence of non-suicidal self-injury 24 hours prior to presentation at emergency crisis services, evaluated the overlap between non-suicidal self-injury & suicide attempt, & examined the characteristics of different types of self-harm. Half of the adolescents had self-harmed within the previous 24 hours, with most of these classified as non-suicidal self-injury only. The percentage of youth with a suicide attempt was 5% & the co-occurrence of these 2 behaviours was 4%. Group differences in depressive symptoms, suicide ideation, & impulsivity were identified, with the co-occurring behaviours group presenting with the highest level of psychopathology. (40 refs.) JA