Deliberate Self-Harm in Adolescents

Deliberate self-harm (also called self-injury) is more common than you may think. Although high rates of self-harm have been found in some groups of people with certain psychiatric disorders (for example, borderline personality disorder and PTSD), high rates of self-harm have also been found in young adults and adolescents. In regard to adolescents, it has been found that approximately 14% to 21% of adolescents indicate that they have engaged in some form of self-harm at some point in their lifetime. What places adolescents at risk for self-harm? A recent study found that childhood sexual abuse and certain PTSD symptoms may play a role in the development of this behavior. You can learn more about deliberate self-harm in adolescents, as well as the role of traumatic experiences in this behavior, by reading this article.