title: Self-harm in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders.
abstract: This study describes the prevalence, clinical characteristics, and gender profile of self-harm in a cross-sectional sample of 388 patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. All patients were interviewed and assessed with respect to lifetime self-harm and relevant clinical variables. An overall of 49% of the patients reported self-harm which was associated with female gender, having had a depressive episode, younger age at psychosis onset, alcohol abuse or dependence, current suicidality, awareness of illness, and low adherence to prescribed medication. Higher awareness of having a mental disorder was associated with self-harm in men only, while emotional dysregulation was associated with self-harm in women only. We conclude that while self-harm in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders is highly prevalent in both genders, risk factors in men and women differ in several important ways.
authors.affiliation: National Centre for SuicideResearch and Prevention, Institute ofClinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway. erlend.mork@medisin.uio.no
authors.forename: Erlend
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mork
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mehlum
authors.forename: Elizabeth A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Barrett
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Agartz
authors.forename: Jill M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Harkavy-Friedman
authors.forename: Steinar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lorentzen
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Melle
authors.forename: Ole A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Andreassen
authors.forename: Fredrik A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Walby
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications*; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D012737:Sex Factors; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*