Increased risk of self-harm for early adolescent boys and girls

Boys and girls who experience puberty earlier than their classmates are at increased risk of self-harm during adolescence. This is a study funded by the National Institute for Health Research Bristol Biomedical Research Center (NIHR Bristol BRC) and published in a journal. Epidemiology and psychiatry Found today.

This is the first study using a teenage growth spurt. puberty This is because it is based on height measurements made at research clinics to investigate the relationship between adolescent timing and adolescent timing. self harm.. The findings help identify boys and girls who are at high risk of self-harm and development. Early intervention It helps reduce this risk.

Examining data from more than 5,000 individuals, researchers found that both boys and girls adolescents, as measured by age at peak height rates (teens “growth surge”). Early onset of puberty is 16 years old. They also found some evidence that this increased risk for girls continued into early adulthood.

Known as Young people People with early puberty are at increased risk of mental health problems such as depression. Previous studies have also shown that girls with early puberty are at increased risk of self-harm. However, until now, there has been little clear evidence of whether pubertal timing is associated with boys’ self-harm. This is because most studies to date have focused solely on girls or have not looked at boys and girls separately. Many studies also use a subjective measure of when puberty begins. It may not be accurate, for example, asking young people when they believe that adolescent development has begun, compared to their peers.

As young people reach puberty, their height rises sharply in a relatively short period of time. The timing of the maximum change period is known as the peak height velocity. That is, when the height is increasing at the fastest rate. Researchers calculated age at peak height velocities from height measurements taken from 5,339 participants in the 90’s Children’s (ALSPAC) study when attending research clinics in childhood and adolescence. They calculated that the average age at maximum height and speed was 13.5 years for boys and 11.8 years for girls.

Study also saw Self-reported questionnaire Filled out by participants aged 16 and 21 to assess whether there were reports of self-harm. One in ten boys and one-quarter of girls reported self-harm at the age of 16. By the age of 21, 28% of men and 35% of women reported having committed self-harm.

According to the survey, the percentage of participants reporting self-harm was highest among those with fast peak heights and highest among those with slow peak heights, both male and female. It was low.For women, they are experiencing peaks height The rate a year ago was associated with a 15% increase in the probability of self-harm at age 16. For men, it was associated with a 28% increase. These changes may not be causal, but they reflect the significant difference in risk of events that are now known to be relatively common.

Elystan Roberts, a researcher at the University of Bristol and NIHR Bristol BRC and the lead author of the paper, said: ..

“As evidence that self-harm is becoming more common among young people, we identify factors related to self-harm so that we can provide early assistance to those who may be at greatest risk. It’s important to do. I don’t know yet. It’s very difficult to measure the timing of puberty in men, so we say a lot about the psychological effects of precocious puberty in boys. The results are important as well as helping to reduce the risk of self-harm in boys. girl.. “

Dr. Becky Mars, an epidemiology researcher in the Department of Population Health Sciences at the University of Bristol School of Medicine, added: “The next step is to identify the mechanism that explains the association. Biological factors It may be a psychosocial factor such as neurological development or hormonal changes, or bullying, substance use, depression. With a better understanding of why early developers are more likely to self-harm, interventions can be designed and provided to reduce the risk of self-harm. ”