A large population cohort study finds that homelessness is an independent driver of suicide risk, pointing to the limits of mental health-focused prevention alone.
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Study of 3 million Australian adults prescribed opioids, 84% of self-harm events and 81% of suicides didn’t involve opioids. Challenges belief that prescribing increases self-harm risk.
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Women aged 55-59 present far less often with self-harm than women aged 40-44, yet experience twice the suicide mortality. Different expressions of distress require different responses.
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Non-physical domestic violence (intimidation, control, property damage) in childhood showed stronger associations with adult mental health disorders than physical violence in large Australian study.
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Mental health admissions to acute medical wards rose 65% for young people in England (2012-2022), with eating disorder admissions up 515% and anxiety admissions doubling in 10 years. Self-harm admissions accounted for more than half of the total. Adolescent girls by far the biggest group affected.
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This descriptive study analysed five years of incident data from a private mental health provider, finding that headbanging incidents were most common among younger female patients with Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder in low secure and CAMHS wards. However, the study only describes patterns without exploring why headbanging occurs or differentiating between self-harm, sensory regulation and communication.
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Self-harm is common among adolescents and a strong predictor of suicide risk. A major new cohort study in the British Journal of Psychiatry explores how genetic risk and brain differences might explain who’s most at risk, and why.
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Self-harm is a global public health issue, yet it remains under-recognised and poorly addressed. A landmark Lancet Commission reframes self-harm as a complex behaviour shaped by culture, society, and inequality—and sets out 12 key recommendations for change.
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This brand new Lancet Psychiatry paper looks across 38 longitudinal cohort studies to uncover how parenting and family dysfunction predict later self-harm or suicidality. The findings may surprise you.
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Shuichi Suetani and Melanie Johnston review new data on the prevalence of psychiatric conditions for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. How can psychiatrists support person-centred care for those with intellectual disabilities?
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