Effective recognition and mitigation of self-harm and suicide among adolescents

Abstract

Self-harm and suicide are related behaviours and there are circumstances where individuals may engage in self-harming behaviours without the intention of ending their life. Risk of suicide among adolescents is increasing (Bould et al., 2019; Iacobucci, 2020), warranting its focus in this paper. To tackle the issue of suicide, identifying risk factors is essential in practice to mitigate risk of harm. Risk factors among adolescents includes appetite loss, antidepressants, high impulsivity, low social support, and self-esteem, tobacco and any psychiatric illness, such as depression. A notable finding in existing literature is the interrelationship between self-harm and suicide, suggesting risk factors for self-harm can also help to identify those at risk of suicide in practice. A key challenge in the recognition of risk factors among adolescents relates to the stigma surrounding mental health, which is associated with reluctance to disclose behaviour that may signal concern. Adolescents may be reluctant to share concerns and there is a lack of research exploring the reasons for this and the ways this challenge can be addressed. Improving healthcare professional awareness about risk factors and specific challenges that adolescents experience in disclosing them can aid collaborative working between adolescents and healthcare professionals to improve outcomes. This paper discusses key issues related to the recognition of risk factors, which may aid mitigation for adverse outcomes.