Repeat deliberate self-harm: a link with childhood sexual abuse?
The purpose of this study was to identify whether a past history of childhood sexual abuse is a risk factor for repeated Deliberate Self-Harm (DSH). The study was a 6-month prospective study of 178 patients responsible for 190 consecutive cases of DSH seen during a 3-month censoring period. Patients were identified by review of the in-patient and accident and emergency (A&E) records of all cases of DSH at the A&E department of a major teaching hospital. Patients with a history of childhood sexual abuse showed a marked clustering of four major risk factors for repeat DSH (unemployment, past deliberate self-poisoning, self-injury and psychiatric illness) and were significantly more likely to repeat DSH within the 6-month follow-up period.
Yeo
H M
HM
Accident and Emergency Department, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield, U.K.
Yeo
W W
WW
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012008:Recurrence; D012307:Risk Factors; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology