Before the damage is done: Early childhood hyperactivity difficulties in adolescents with deliberate self-harm – findings from the DALSC cohort

Abstract

Background: Deliberate self-harm (DSH) is a growing issue among Danish adolescents, and a dramatic increase in the incidence of DSH has been observed since the turn of the millennium. The importance of early childhood factors on later development has been established, but research on the trajectories of DSH is still scarce, and longitudinal studies are much needed. Method: Participants were 3,291 children and their mothers from The Danish Longitudinal Survey of Children (DALSC), a Danish population-based birth cohort from 1995. Logistic regression and mediation analyses were used to examine significant early childhood determinants of self-harming behavior in adolescence. Results: The study found that 17.9% of the children had a history with DSH at the age of 18 years. A significant relationship was found between the likelihood of DSH at the age of 18 years and hyperactivity difficulties assessed through the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) at 3 and 7 years of age. Using a mediation model, it is documented that difficulties in peer relationships at the age of 11 years is a partial mediator explaining 19% of the variation. Limitations: i) a vague definition of self-harm in the questionnaires; ii) lack of sample representation as children of lower socio-economic groups have lower participation rates, and only Danish-ethnicity children have been sampled; iii) possibility of omitted variable bias. Conclusion: The adolescents engaging in DSH are experiencing a more complex range of psychosocial problems than those who do not have experience with DSH. The main finding of the study is that hyperactivity as a risk factor for the development of DSH in adolescence can be identified as early as 3–7 years of age. This relationship between the very early occurring hyperactivity and later DSH, to the best of our knowledge, has not previously been described.

Potential Mechanisms Underlying Suicidality in Autistic People with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Testing Hypotheses from the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide

“…53,54 Unfortunately, while a number of studies report associations between ADHD and suicidality, 19,21,55 NSSI, 56 and violent and traumatic events, [57][58][59] few examined these associations in relation to specific features. Several studies implicate hyperactive/impulsive features in self-injurious behaviour, 60,61 but neither examined the specificity of this association to hyperactive/impulsive features or looked at subsequent effects on acquired capability and later suicidality. Although one study did support a link between ADHD and suicidality in relation to victimisation trauma, 62 these authors did not examine whether acquired capability mediated an association between exposure to this type 1 DSM-5 conceptualises ADHD as comprising two domains, namely inattentive and hyperactive-impulsive features.…”

Adaptation of the Suicide Attempt Resilience Scale (SRSA-18, Spanish version) for adolescents

“… 8 In fact, most studies on suicidal behaviour in adolescents have focused exclusively on risk variables. 11 Some adolescents die on their first suicide attempt, others make more harmful subsequent attempts and others increase their level of resilience, enhancing the interaction between protective factors (internal, external or both) that minimise or reduce the psychosocial impact of risk factors, leading to a more resilient outcome. 8 These differences in adolescents indicate an urgent need to develop instruments for assessing suicide attempt resilience in adolescents that focus exclusively on protective factors.…”

The relationship between traumatic dental injuries and adolescents' non‐suicidal self‐injury behaviour: A cross‐sectional analysis of an East London cohort

“…8 Furthermore, NSSI among adolescents can disrupt family dynamics and place a huge financial burden on the healthcare system. 9,10 Previous studies have suggested that adolescents with behavioural problems, particularly in terms of peer problems, conduct disorder and hyperactivity, have a greater probability to have NSSI, 11,12 as well as facial and dental trauma. [13][14][15] Behavioural problems have been associated with underlying mental health problems, 16 which may act as a function of NSSI.…”