Parental and community risk factors for childhood self-harm thoughts and behaviours

Date

2022

Authors

O'Hare, K.
Watkeys, O.
Whitten, T.
Dean, K.
Laurens, K.R.
Harris, F.
Carr, V.J.
Green, M.J.

Editors

Advisors

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Type:

Journal article

Citation

Journal of Affective Disorders, 2022; 310:279-283

Statement of Responsibility

Kirstie O'Hare, Oliver Watkeys, Tyson Whitten, Kimberlie Dean, Kristin R. Laurens, Felicity Harris, Vaughan J. Carr, Melissa J. Green

Conference Name

DOI

10.1016/j.jad.2022.05.050

Abstract

Background: Childhood self-harm is rare but increasing in frequency. Little is known about risk factors specifically for self-harm in preteen children. Methods: We examined self-harm thoughts and behaviours in children aged 3–14 years in association with parental and community-level risk factors, using a large general population-based record linkage sample (n = 74,479). Results: Parental factors were strongly associated with childhood self-harm, with over three-quarters of children with self-harm having a parent with a history of mental disorder and/or criminal offending. Community-level factors (socioeconomic deprivation, remote or regional location, and neighbourhood crime rate) were not associated with childhood self-harm after adjustment for confounding factors. Limitations: Measures of self-harm thoughts and behaviours derived from administrative data likely underestimate the prevalence of self-harm in the population. Conclusions: Intergenerational transmission of risk factors is likely an important contributor to childhood self- harm.

School/Discipline

Dissertation Note

Provenance

Description

Access Status

Rights

© 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

License

Grant ID

http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/LP11010015
 http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DP170101403
 http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/FT170100294
 http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/105865
 http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/1148055
 http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/1133833
 http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/1175408

Published Version

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2022.05.050

Call number

Persistent link to this record

https://hdl.handle.net/2440/136169