Deliberate self-harm in adolescents : a literature review with focus on Portuguese language research

RESUMO - Os comportamentos autolesivos em adolescentes são de grande relevância, estando associados a doença psiquiátrica e à maior probabilidade de suicídio futuro. O nosso objetivo é rever os conceitos atuais, epidemiologia e clínica destes comportamentos, assim como sistematizar que investigação e qual a conceptualização do tema na comunidade científica de língua portuguesa. Os principais resultados apontam para um claro problema de saúde pública, sendo que os estudos encontrados revelam elevadas prevalências em amostras comunitárias e clínicas. A investigação em língua portuguesa tem dado um contributo ainda modesto para a clarificação deste problema, verificando-se pouco consenso na nomenclatura e definição do problema.ABSTRACT - Deliberate self-harm in adolescents is a very relevant subject, that is associated with psychiatric disease and greater probability of future suicide. The main goal of this paper is to review the actual concepts, epidemiology and clinical aspects of this behaviour. Also we will try to systematize, focusing on the research in Portuguese language, what is the current data and conceptualization of this problem. Result point to a clear public health issue, the studies found show high prevalence in community or clinical samples. Research in Portuguese language still contributes modestly to clarify the issue, showing little consensus in nomenclature and definition.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Comportamentos autolesivos em adolescentes: uma revisão da literatura com foco na investigação em língua portuguesa

ResumoOs comportamentos autolesivos em adolescentes são de grande relevância, estando associados a doença psiquiátrica e à maior probabilidade de suicídio futuro.O nosso objetivo é rever os conceitos atuais, epidemiologia e clínica destes comportamentos, assim como sistematizar que investigação e qual a conceptualização do tema na comunidade científica de língua portuguesa.Os principais resultados apontam para um claro problema de saúde pública, sendo que os estudos encontrados revelam elevadas prevalências em amostras comunitárias e clínicas. A investigação em língua portuguesa tem dado um contributo ainda modesto para a clarificação deste problema, verificando-se pouco consenso na nomenclatura e definição do problema.AbstractDeliberate self-harm in adolescents is a very relevant subject, that is associated with psychiatric disease and greater probability of future suicide.The main goal of this paper is to review the actual concepts, epidemiology and clinical aspects of this behaviour. Also we will try to systematize, focusing on the research in Portuguese language, what is the current data and conceptualization of this problem.Result point to a clear public health issue, the studies found show high prevalence in community or clinical samples. Research in Portuguese language still contributes modestly to clarify the issue, showing little consensus in nomenclature and definition

A systematic literature review Health behavior, health promotion and society

Frasquilho D. receives a grant from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), reference SFRH/BD/80846/2011. This paper was also supported by the ECOP project "Support for creating excellent research teams and intersectoral mobility at Palacky University in Olomouc" ( reg. no. CZ.1.07/2.3.00/30.0004), and by the Czech Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport under contract no. LG 14043 and LG 14042. The authors wish to thank Dr. Sharon Leahy from the University of St. Andrews who assisted in the proof-reading of the manuscript.Background: Countries in recession experience high unemployment rates and a decline in living conditions, which, it has been suggested, negatively influences their populations' health. The present review examines the recent evidence of the possible association between economic recessions and mental health outcomes. Methods: Literature review of records identified through Medline, PsycINFO, SciELO, and EBSCO Host. Only original research papers, published between 2004 and 2014, peer-reviewed, non-qualitative research, and reporting on associations between economic factors and proxies of mental health were considered. Results: One-hundred-one papers met the inclusion criteria. The evidence was consistent that economic recessions and mediators such as unemployment, income decline, and unmanageable debts are significantly associated with poor mental wellbeing, increased rates of common mental disorders, substance-related disorders, and suicidal behaviours. Conclusion: On the basis of a thorough analysis of the selected investigations, we conclude that periods of economic recession are possibly associated with a higher prevalence of mental health problems, including common mental disorders, substance disorders, and ultimately suicidal behaviour. Most of the research is based on cross-sectional studies, which seriously limits causality inferences. Conclusions are summarised, taking into account international policy recommendations concerning the cost-effective measures that can possibly reduce the occurrence of negative mental health outcomes in populations during periods of economic recession.publishersversionpublishe