We told you so
One in six teens inflict self-harm (TRIGGER WARNING: if you don’t want to see a photo of cuts on someone’s forearm, then don’t click this link), the Globe and Mail tells us today, and the sub-headline of that article is “Abusing yourself isn’t a suicidal or attention-seeking action, research suggests, but a coping mechanism.”
Well, duh. We’ve been trying to tell people that for years and years1, but who bothers listening to self-injurers? Especially to teen self-injurers. We are not doing it to get attention.
The research, published in today’s edition of the Canadian Medical Association Journal, shows that 17.6 per cent of teenagers self-harm - a number that includes 21 per cent of girls and 8.7 per cent of boys.
This being the media, though, they have to warp the contents of the actual study, Nonsuicidal self-harm in youth: a population-based survey, so that “Ninety-six of 568 (16.9%) youth indicated that they had ever harmed themselves” from the original journal article, somehow becomes “17.6 per cent of teenagers self-harm” — present tense, plus an inexplicable 0.7 bonus. (Admittedly, I haven’t read the whole study yet because I was having computer problems earlier today and I am lazy, but I shall get around to it, and if there is an explanation that I missed for that extra 0.7, then sorry, my bad.) I suppose it’s mainly a case of people wanting shocking headlines, as the Globe and Mail article does continue as follows:
A total of 568 young people aged 14 to 21 were interviewed. Ninety-six of them said they had, at some point in their young lives, harmed themselves deliberately.
About one-third of the teenagers had done so only once, another third on two to three occasions and the other third had self-harmed repeatedly. On average, their mutilating actions began at age 15.
Much of the article is an interview with the study’s lead author, Dr. Mary Nixon, and it’s pretty good except for one comment that directly contradicts other things in the article:
“We’re trying to raise awareness that it’s not uncommon in young people and not related to mental health problems,” she said.
“It” being self-injury, of course. It’s such a weird quote that I’ve got to wonder if it’s a typo or a misunderstanding or something. I don’t think SI is always related to mental health problems, but I think it is the majority of the time.
The research shows a clear link between self-harm and mental health problems. Those who hurt themselves are more than twice as likely to suffer from depression, anxiety and impulse disorders.
It is not entirely clear why girls are more likely to self-harm than boys, but Dr. Nixon believes it is related to the fact that rates of depression soar at puberty and that girls not only mature earlier but react differently to stress.
See? Does not compute. SI is indeed related to mental health, although it’s very rarely suicidal or attention-seeking. (Never say never. All generalizations are bad. Tee hee.)
Dr. Nixon, a child and adolescent psychiatrist, said when teenagers harm themselves, it is often assumed they are doing so to get attention, but the behaviour is far more complex.
“A lot of these kids hide their cuts and burns. It’s not attention-seeking, it’s something else,” she said.
THANK YOU. I really appreciate somebody saying this and it being national news.
1Although we don’t phrase it that way, because then it would sound like we were talking about masturbation.
January 31st, 2008 at 12:29 pm
Hey.
I think people forget awareness raising and stigma busting are different tasks, particularly the media. Going by those rates it is not uncommon. But if you were to then take the rate of kids who self harm for long than x period the rate will drop. Hell even asking if people use it as a coping mechanism will cause the rate will drop. I know about ten folk in real life who have self harmed, only for four of them is/was it a habit.
I think that de-alienating those for whom it has become a coping mechanism or habitual is more important that raising awareness that a lot of kids have done it once or twice.
As always I think true individual stories are more effective than stats. But for me I think that being able to say X% of 14 to 21 years have self harmed for a period of 6months or more is going to get more people aware of the problem.
The more people become aware it isn’t always transient the more difficult it is to claim that self injury is attention seeking.
Breaking down stigma comes from our end - by being able to talk openly and honestly about it. I am slowly realising that people who think they have a right to ask questions are normally the ones who understand least, we only break down stigma be helping others understand
January 31st, 2008 at 6:24 pm
Yes, that little tidbit about it “…not being related to mental health problems…” rang a bell in my head.
Indeed, could be error, misquote…poor copy editing…
You know what I’d like to see? Being 37, I’d like to see some studies that show the “numbers” or “stats” of self harm etc… say from my teen years to today’s (i.e. that study, and I’m sure more that are being done as we speak.)
I mean, I arrived pretty late to the party. I did my first cutting at 28. However, I did do some minor head-banging when a young child. In between that, nothing.
Oh, and I finally got around to blogrolling you because I’m a slow, stupid arse.
February 2nd, 2008 at 6:35 am
i was just wondering if you have any advice for someone getting off epival? I think i read in one of your postings you yourslef have gone through this. i know someone who is decreasing their epival levels and now they have a serious throat, voice box inflammation, and in my personal research i’ve found that this can be a symptom for epival withdrawal, but the person is taking cough syrup and perhaps even an antiobiotic suggested by their doctor!!!, so anyways, do you have any advice?
thanks
February 9th, 2008 at 12:11 am
Unfortunately, I don’t have any advice for somebody getting off Epival. The first time I was taking it, I went off 1000 mg a day cold turkey following a suicide attempt. The withdrawal I posted about last year was just from going off it for a couple of weeks when my prescription ran out and I had to wait to get a new one, and I was (and still am) only on 500 mg a day at the time. I wish I could help, but I can’t.