title: Self-injury in teenagers who lost a parent to cancer: a nationwide, population-based, long-term follow-up.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the risk of self-injury in parentally cancer-bereaved youth compared with their nonbereaved peers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Population-based study of cancer-bereaved youth and a random sample of matched population controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sweden in 2009 and 2010.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 952 youth (74.8%) confirmed to be eligible for the study returned the questionnaire: 622 (73.1%) of 851 eligible young adults who lost a parent to cancer between the ages of 13 and 16 years, in 2000 to 2003, and 330 (78.4%) of 451 nonbereaved peers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cancer bereavement or nonbreavement during the teenage years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) of self-injury after January 1, 2000.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among cancer-bereaved youth, 120 (19.5%) reported self-injury compared with 35 (10.6%) of their nonbereaved peers, yielding an OR of 2.0 (95% CI, 1.4-3.0). After controlling for potential confounding factors in childhood (eg, having engaged in self-destructive behavior, having been bullied, having been sexually or physically abused, having no one to share joys and sorrows with, and sex), the adjusted OR was 2.3 (95% CI, 1.4-3.7). The OR for suicide attempts was 1.6 (95% CI, 0.8-3.0).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  One-fifth of cancer-bereaved youth reported self-injury, representing twice the odds for self-injury in their nonbereaved peers, regardless of any of the adjustments we made. Raised awareness on a broad basis in health care and allied disciplines would enable identification and support provision to this vulnerable group.
authors: Department of Oncology and Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. tove.bylund.grenklo@ki.se
authors: Tove
authors: T
authors: Bylund Grenklo
authors: Ulrika
authors: U
authors: Kreicbergs
authors: Arna
authors: A
authors: Hauksdóttir
authors: Unnur A
authors: UA
authors: Valdimarsdóttir
authors: Tommy
authors: T
authors: Nyberg
authors: Gunnar
authors: G
authors: Steineck
authors: Carl Johan
authors: CJ
authors: Fürst
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001601:Bereavement; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009369:Neoplasms; D016017:Odds Ratio; D063129:Parental Death / Q000523:psychology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult