Self-injurious behaviour as part of genetic syndromes.
BACKGROUND
The purpose of this paper is to review the association between genetic syndromes and self-injurious behaviour.


METHODS
The information available from the literature on the subject of self-injurious behaviours and genetic syndromes was collated and presented with a critical appraisal.


RESULTS
Self-injurious behaviours are associated with some genetic syndromes. However, the causal relationship between the genetic syndromes and the self-injurious behaviour remains far from clear.


CONCLUSIONS
Although self-injurious behaviour has been shown to be the part of a broader phenotype in many genetic disorders, the specificity and sensitivity of these behaviours in this context remain unclear.
Deb
S
S
Division of Psychological Medicine, University of Wales College of Medicine, Heath Park, Cardiff. Deb@Cardiff.ac.uk
D001925:Brain Damage, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D030342:Genetic Diseases, Inborn / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics*; D013577:Syndrome