Deliberate self-harm in children and adolescents: Association with social deprivation

Background It has been demonstrated that adult suicidal behaviour is associated with unemployment and social deprivation. The association between selfharm and social deprivation in young people is less clear. Aims To examine the relationship between social deprivation and deliberate self-harm in children and adolescents in an UK district.<LF>Method Computer records of patients under 18 years of age presenting with self-harm at the district casualty department were analysed in Hull and East Yorkshire. The relationship with social deprivation was examined using Townsend scores. Results 730 young people presented with self-harm during a period of two years. Socio-economic deprivation was associated with overdose, self-injury, and poisoning by illicit substances. After controlling for the proportion of single parent households, moving households with children, and adult long-term sickness in each ward, partial correlations remained significant between overdose, self-injury, and Townsend scores. Conclusions The results highlight the importance of socio-economic deprivation in the aetiology of deliberate self-harm in young people. Primary and secondary prevention programs cannot be successful without taking this into consideration.