Prison suicide rates are increasing. The impact of witnessing a suicide or how many people do so is unknown. The aim of this study was to find how many young people detained in a Young Offenders' Institution (YOI) have had contact with another's suicide attempt and to test for association between this and own self-harming behaviour. A…

A close review of prison violence makes it obvious that a disproportionate amount of such violence is related to the mental health problems of prisoners, and that, in the U.S. at least, this appears to have become increasingly the case. One reason for the trend is that prison administrators have been routinely relegating disturbed disruptive…

Self-injurious behavior (SIB) is a disorder typically associated with developmental disabilities. However, throughout early childhood, some typically developing children also display behavior that is topographically similar to SIB but does not cause injury, commonly referred to as "proto-injurious behavior" (PIB). To date, little…

This study examined reports of self-harm by early adolescents as well as associations between salient interpersonal stressors and self-harm. While attending health education centers located in Illinois, Indiana, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania, early adolescents (n = 737) responded to a questionnaire measuring stressors, coping, and self-harm.…

We have reviewed the literature on the association between self-injurious behaviors (SIB) and eating disorders from the psychological-behavioral perspective. Our aims were to investigate the extent and possible reasons for the association. A literature search was conducted using the following electronic databases (1989-2005): Medline, PsychInfo…

How differences in drinking patterns may affect the impact of alcohol consumption on deliberate self-harm among adolescents is explored in this international comparative study. Schools in Australia, Belgium, England, Hungary, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Norway (N = 30,532) were surveyed. In all countries the risk of deliberate self-harm was…

This state-of-the-art practitioner resource and course text provides a comprehensive view of adolescent development and spells out effective ways to help teens who are having difficulties. The book illuminates protective and risk factors in the many contexts of adolescents' lives, from individual attributes to family, school, neighborhood, and…

The goal of this study was to examine the use of specific coping strategies among self-mutilating college students. The self-mutilating group (n = 44) reported utilizing avoidance strategies more often than did a control group (n = 44) matched for general psychological distress but with no history of self-mutilation. In addition, female, but not…

Repetition of deliberate self-harm (DSH) is common. Some patients repeat multiple times. We have investigated the characteristics of repeaters, and mortality in three groups of DSH patients by repetition status. Data collected by the Oxford Monitoring System for Attempted Suicide were used to examine the pattern of repetition of DSH patients…

Representative data show that drug abuse, delinquency, and suicide attempts are major concerns among adolescent Hispanic females. Although comorbidity research indicates that such problems tend to be related to each other, this research largely neglects Hispanic females. Using data from presentence investigations on 141 Hispanic girls sentenced to…

The results of a functional analysis of problem behavior and a paired-choice assessment were compared to determine whether the same social reinforcers were identified for problem behavior and an appropriate response (time allocation). The two assessments were conducted in classroom settings with 4 adolescents with mental retardation who engaged in…

The impact of the Texas State Lottery on gambling patterns, expenditures on gambling, and the prevalence of problem gambling in Texas is assessed. Background and methodology is presented in Part 1. Data are compared with a survey run prior to the introduction of the first state lottery. Part 2, "Gambling among Texas Adults," includes…

Designed as a guide for the prevention of suicide and other self-destructive behavior, this booklet is divided into two main sections. Outlining the problem of suicide in the nation, the first section contains an introduction to the topic of suicide with statistical information, then eight segments deal with such subjects as facing the reality of…

Surveys the literature on youth suicide (ages 15-24) for the period 1980-1985, emphasizing general determinants of suicide, predictors in the form of psychological tests, precipitating events, and signs that may signify impending attempts at self-destruction. Suggestions for prevention, and limitations of research on suicide are offered. (Author)

Individuals admitted to an inpatient psychiatric unit for an immediately preceding parasuicide, with current suicidal ideation, or for nonsuicidal psychiatric reasons, were compared with each other on the types of problems they reported as being most significant in their current lives. Parasuicidal patients reported problems with significantly…