Initiation and stability of self‐harm in adolescence and early adulthood
Investigating social and aetiological factors in twins
Bibliographic Data
BACKGROUND: Almost one in five (18.8%) UK adolescents are estimated to self-harm and many young people initiate self-harm early (average age 13 years). Prevention of self-harm should be informed by knowledge about risk factors (e.g. socio-demographic indices), characteristics (i.e. motivation for self-harm and help-seeking behaviours), as well as relative aetiological genetic and environmental processes. Previous twin studies evidence both genetic and environmental influences on self-harm. However, to date, there has been no genetically informed research on self-harm aetiology across development, nor studies identifying risk factors for initiating self-harm at a younger age. METHODS: We examined self-harm in the Twins Early Development Study, a birth cohort twin study. Using clustered regression models, we tested associations of socio-demographic factors and victimisation with lifetime self-harm and age of self-harm initiation, both reported at 21. To investigate stability and/or change in genetic and environmental influences on self-harm we interpreted a multivariate Cholesky decomposition across ages ≤16, 21, and 26. RESULTS: Self-harm was more common in adolescence than early adulthood, and the incidence of self-harm in early adulthood was low (1.4%). The most common motivation for self-harm was 'to get relief from a terrible state of mind' (83.4%). Independent predictors of self-harm and earlier initiation of self-harm were being female, belonging to a gender and/or sexual minority group, and experience of bullying victimisation. Sexual minority status was still significantly associated with self-harm after controlling for familial factors in co-twin control analyses. The Cholesky decomposition showed stability in genetic influences and innovation in non-shared environmental influences on self-harm. CONCLUSIONS: Adolescence should be a key period for self-harm interventions. Women, sexual, and gender minorities, and those experiencing victimisation may need targeted support early in adolescence. Furthermore, it should be acknowledged that different individuals can be at risk at different stages as environmental factors influencing self-harm change across time
Developmental psychology · Environmental health · Harm · Injury prevention · Poison control · Victimisation · Clinical Psychology · Demography · Health, Environment, Cognitive Aging · Medicine · Mental Health Research Topics · Psychology · Social Psychology · Suicide and Self-Harm Studies
Help-seeking behaviour and adolescent self-harm
Prevalence and Characteristics of Self-Harm in Adolescents
OpenMx
The Table 2 Fallacy
Deliberate self‐harm within an international community sample of young people
Prevalence of non-suicidal self-harm and service contact in England, 2000–14
Analytic approaches to twin data using structural equation models
Minority stress theory
The longitudinal course of non-suicidal self-injury and deliberate self-harm
Sexual orientation and adolescent suicide attempt and self‐harm
Self-harm and ethnicity
The social context of adolescent mental health and wellbeing
Parental Social Determinants of Risk for Intentional Injury
Racialization
| Unique citing works | 4 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 4 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 4 |