Relationship of intentional self-harm using sharp objects with depressive and dissociative tendencies in pre-adolescence-adolescence.
OBJECTIVE
The objectives of the present study were to (i) evaluate the prevalence of children and adolescents who have engaged in intentional self-harm using a sharp object; and (ii) investigate the relationship between self-harm with sharp objects and depressive tendencies or dissociative tendencies.


METHODS
A total of 1938 students in grades 5-12 in Yokohama, Japan, were enrolled, and they completed anonymous self-report questionnaires including a question about intentional self-harm with a sharp object, the Depression Self-Rating Scale for Children (DSRSC) and the Adolescent Dissociative Experiences Scale (A-DES).


RESULTS
The prevalence of self-harm using sharp object was 5.4% among male 5th-6th graders, 4.0% among female 5th-6th graders, 5.3% among male 7th-9th graders, 15.1% among female 7th-9th graders, 6.6% among male 10th-12th graders, and 9.6% among female 10th-12th graders. Categorical regression analysis showed that a small amount of variance in self-harm by sharp object was explained by DSRSC and A-DES scores.


CONCLUSIONS
Self-harm with a sharp object was prevalent among pre-adolescents and adolescents and was associated with depressive and dissociative tendencies.
Sho
Noriko
N
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Kanagawa Children's Medical Center, Kanagawa, Japan. kokoro-ns@kcmc.jp
Oiji
Arata
A
Konno
Chizue
C
Toyohara
Koji
K
Minami
Tatsuya
T
Arai
Takashi
T
Seike
Yoji
Y
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D002648:Child; D015897:Comorbidity; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004213:Dissociative Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*