Deliberate self-harm and childhood hyperactivity in junior high school students

Abstract

The present study aimed to explore the status of deliberate self-harm (DSH) among junior high-school students, and investigate the relationship between DSH and substance use and childhood hyperactivity. Subjects were 239 boys (mean age = 14.16 years, SD = 0.67) and 238 girls (14.22, 0.68) from a junior high-school in Kanagawa, Japan. A self-reporting questionnaire consisting of original questions on self-cutting, self-hitting, and tobacco and alcohol use was employed with the Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS) for assessing childhood hyperactivity. Overall, 8.00% and 27.70% of males and 9.30% and 12.20% of females reported self-cutting and self-hitting, respectively. Regarding substance use, 33.10% and 74.10% of males and 14.30% and 63.40% of females reported tobacco and alcohol use, respectively. Comparisons of WURS scores between those with and without experience of problematic behaviors revealed that with all problematic behaviors in both genders, scores of those with experience were significantly higher than those without (P < 0.01 except for self-cutting in females, P < 0.05). The present study indicated that DSH is an important problem, even among children as young as junior high-school age. An association between DSH and childhood hyperactivity was also suggested.

Correlates of co-occurring ADHD in drug-dependent subjects: Prevalence and features of substance dependence and psychiatric disorders

“…The findings reported here are consistent with a growing body of literature showing that the presence of ADHD is associated with more severe expressions of substance use and psychiatric disorders (Fulwiler et al, 1997;Izutsu et al, 2006;Wilens et al, 2005). Bivariate GEE analyses showed ADHD to be associated with greater likelihood of a variety of specific substance use and psychiatric disorders.…”

Teachers’ Perceptions of Non-Suicidal Self-Injury in the Schools

“…Interestingly, in examining occurrence of NSSI among adolescents, note that studies that report gender differences (Laye-Gindhu and Schonert-Reichl 2005;Nixon et al 2008;Patton et al 1997) have included overdose or medication abuse without suicide intent; these studies typically demonstrate a higher NSSI prevalence among girls than among boys. Conversely, every investigation that limits itself to cutting, burning, or self-hitting to bruise or other forms of tissue damage fails to find a gender difference (Lloyd-Richardson et al 2007;Gutierrez 2004, 2007;Izutsu et al 2006;Zoroglu et al 2003). Further, it has been noted that boys are less likely to agree to be interviewed or participate in studies that ask questions regarding NSSI (Heath et al, 2008) and as such, research findings may not represent the true rate of occurrence among boys.…”

Evaluation of Superficial and Deep Self-Inflicted Wrist and Forearm Lacerations

“…The authors reported that those women cut their wrists not to attempt suicide, but to alleviate tension. 15 Thus, their wounds were usually superficial, and wrist-cutting behavior was repeated. 15,16 The patients in the superficial injury group closely resembled those with wrist-cutting syndrome: most were female, they were likely to repeat wrist cutting, their wounds were not severe, and they were nonsuicidal.…”