The pervasive effects of timing of parental mental health disorders on adolescent deliberate self-harm risk

Children whose parents have mental health disorders are at increased risk for deliberate self-harm (DSH). However, the effect of timing of parental mental health disorders on adolescent DSH risk remains under-researched. The aim of this study was to investigate how parental hospital admissions for mental health disorders and/or DSH in different developmental periods impact on the child’s DSH risk in adolescence. A nested case-control sample was compiled from a total population cohort sample drawn from administrative health records in Western Australia. The sample comprised 7,151 adolescents who had a DSH-related hospital admission (cases), and 143,020 matched controls who hadn’t had a DSH-related hospital admission. The occurrence of parental hospital admissions related to mental health disorders and/or DSH behaviours was then analysed for the cases and controls. The timing of the parental hospital admissions was partitioned into four stages in the child’s life course: (1) pre-pregnancy, (2) pregnancy and infancy, (3) childhood, and (4) adolescence. We found that adolescents of a parent with mental health and/or DSH-related hospital admissions in all developmental periods except pregnancy and infancy were significantly more likely than controls to have a DSH-related hospital admission. Compared to parental hospital admissions that occurred during childhood and adolescence, those that occurred before pregnancy conferred a higher risk for adolescent DSH: adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.25 for having only one parent hospitalised and 1.66 for having both parents hospitalised for mental health disorders; aOR = 1.97 for having any parent hospitalised for DSH, all being significant at the level of p < .001. This study shows that timing is important for understanding intergenerational transmission of DSH risk. The pre-pregnancy period is as critical as period after childbirth for effective intervention targeting adult mental health disorders and DSH, highlighting the important role of adult mental health services in preventing DSH risk in future generations

Risk factors for repetition of a deliberate self-harm episode within seven days in adolescents and young adults: A population-level record linkage study in Western Australia

Objective: The risk of repetition of deliberate self-harm peaks in the first 7 days after a deliberate self-harm episode. However, thus far no studies have examined the risk factors for repeating deliberate self-harm during this short-term period. We aimed to investigate the effects of socio-demographic factors, self-harm method and mental health factors in adolescents (10-19 years old) and young adults (20-29 years old). Methods: We used data linkage of population-wide administrative records from hospital inpatients and emergency departments to identify all the deliberate self-harm-related episodes that occurred in adolescents and young adults in Western Australia from 2000 to 2011. Logistic regression with generalised estimating equations was used for the analyses. Results: The incidence of repeating deliberate self-harm within the first 7 days after an index episode was 6% (403/6,768) in adolescents and 8% (842/10,198) in young adults. Socio-demographic risk factors included female gender and socioeconomic disadvantage. Compared with non-poisoning, self-poisoning predicted increased risk of having a repeated deliberate self-harm episode in males, but not in females. Borderline personality, impulse-control and substance use disorders diagnosed within one week before and one week after an index deliberate self-harm episode conferred the highest risk, followed by depressive and anxiety disorders. Having a preceding deliberate self-harm episode up to 7 days before an index episode was a strong predictor for the future repetition of a deliberate self-harm episode.Conclusion: Having a repeated deliberate self-harm episode within the first 7 days was related to a wide range of factors present at an index deliberate self-harm episode including socio-demographic characteristics, deliberate self-harm method and co-existing psychiatric conditions. These factors can inform risk assessments tailored to adolescents and young adults respectively to reduce the repetition of deliberate self-harm within a short but critical period, potentially contributing to reduce the repetition of deliberate self-harm in the long term

The impact of child maltreatment on the risk of deliberate self-harm among adolescents: A population-wide cohort study using linked administrative records

Adolescents exposed to maltreatment have an elevated risk of deliberate self-harm (DSH). The aim of this study was to investigate longitudinally the effects of the number, timing, and type of maltreatment allegations on adolescent risk of having a DSH-related hospital admission, using linked data in Western Australia. A total of 351,372 children born between 1986 and 2000 were followed from birth up to the year 2010. Cox regression models were utilized, while controlling for a range of psychosocial covariates. Compared to children without allegations of maltreatment, children with unsubstantiated allegations only (aHR=1.04, 95%CI: 1.00–1.08, p<.01) and children with a substantiated allegation (aHR=1.10, 95%CI: 1.06–1.15, p<.001) all had significantly increased risk of DSH in adolescence. Among children with a substantiated allegation of maltreatment, the greater the number of allegations, the longer the exposure to maltreatment, and the more types of maltreatment experienced by a child, the higher the child's risk of DSH. However, this dose–response pattern was not found among children with unsubstantiated allegations only. This study calls for the early identification of children who are vulnerable to maltreatment, the better identification of the duration and severity of maltreatment experiences, and the provision of continued care and support, to reduce the child's DSH risk in adolescence

Intervention targets for reducing mortality between mid-adolescence and mid-adulthood: a protocol for a machine-learning facilitated systematic umbrella review

Introduction A rise in premature mortality—defined here as death during the most productive years of life, between adolescence and middle adulthood (15–60 years)—is contributing to stalling life expectancy in high-income countries. Causes of mortality vary, but often include substance misuse, suicide, unintentional injury and non-communicable disease. The development of evidence-informed policy frameworks to guide new approaches to prevention require knowledge of early targets for intervention, and interactions between higher level drivers. Here, we aim to: (1) identify systematic reviews with or without meta-analyses focused on intervention targets for premature mortality (in which intervention targets are causes of mortality that can, at least hypothetically, be modified to reduce risk); (2) evaluate the review quality and risk of bias; (3) compare and evaluate each review’s, and their relevant primary studies, findings to identify existing evidence gaps.Methods and analysis In May 2023, we searched electronic databases (MEDLINE, PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library) for peer-reviewed papers published in the English language in the 12 years from 2012 to 2023 that examined intervention targets for mortality. Screening will narrow these papers to focus on systematic reviews with or without meta-analyses, and their primary papers. Our outcome is death between ages 15 and 60 years; with potential intervention targets measured prior to death. A MeaSurement Tool to Assess systematic Reviews (AMSTAR 2) will be used to assess quality and risk of bias within included systematic reviews. Results will be synthesised narratively due to anticipated heterogeneity between reviews and between primary studies contained within included reviews.Ethics and dissemination This review will synthesise findings from published systematic reviews and meta-analyses, and their primary reviewed studies, meaning ethics committee approval is not required. Our findings will inform cross-cohort consortium development, be published in a peer-reviewed journal, and be presented at national and international conferences.PROSPERO registration number CRD42022355861

Influence of exposure to perinatal risk factors and parental mental health related hospital admission on adolescent deliberate self-harm risk

Adolescent deliberate self-harm (DSH) has been found to be associated with a range of bio-psycho-social factors. Simultaneous investigations of these factors enable more robust estimation of the independent effect of a specific risk factor by adjusting for a more complete set of covariates. However, few studies have had the ability to examine all of these factors together. This study used the linkage of population-level de-identified data collections from government agencies to investigate a range of biological, psychological, and social risk factors and their effects on adolescent risk of DSH (with or without suicidal intent). The investigation was undertaken by progressively adjusting for plausible covariates, including fetal growth status and birth order, early familial social factors, parental hospital admissions due to psychiatric disorders or DSH, and parental all-cause death. Conditional logistic regression was used for data analysis. Children’s psychiatric history was analysed to examine the extent to which it may account for the link between the risk factors and adolescent DSH risk. This study identified significant biological and perinatal social risk factors for adolescent DSH risk, including overdue birth, high birth order (=2), single or teen/young motherhood, high neighbourhood socioeconomic disadvantage, and parental psychiatric and/or DSH-related hospital admissions. Further, parental psychiatric and/or DSH-related admissions, and children’s psychiatric admissions in particular, largely attenuated the effects of the perinatal social risk factors but not the biological factors on adolescent DSH risk. These results highlight the importance of taking joint actions involving both health and social services in the prevention of adolescent DSH