title: Prevalence and clinical correlates of deliberate self-harm among a community sample of Italian adolescents.
abstract: The aims of this study were to investigate the rates of deliberate self-harm (DSH) behavior among an Italian adolescent sample, as well as to explore its clinical correlates. On a sample of 234 adolescents in Italian secondary schools (Mean age = 16.47; SD = 1.7) were assessed the DSH as well as externalizing symptoms (including both conduct disorder [CD] and oppositional defiant disorder [ODD] symptoms), borderline personality disorder [BPD] symptoms, dissociative symptoms, and the incidence of life-stressors. Consistent with past research on DSH in youth, 42% of the adolescents in this sample engaged in DSH. Results indicate a positive association between DSH and all psychopathological correlates, including BPD, dissociative, and ODD and CD symptoms. Further, findings revealed an association between DSH and specific life-stressors (i.e., psychological and sexual abuse, natural disasters and serious accidents, the loss of someone important, and the witnessing of family violence or a serious accident).
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Psicologia Dinamica e Clinica, Sapienza Università di Roma, Via degli Apuli 1, 00185 Roma, Italia. rita.cerutti@uniroma1.it
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cerutti
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Manca
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Presaghi
authors.forename: Kim L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Gratz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D012737:Sex Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*