English summaries Suom Lääkäril 2024; 79 : e39218 www.laakarilehti.fi/e39218 (Julkaistu 13.3.2024)

Hospital-presenting self-harm among adolescents and young adults has increased between 2006 and 2019

Joonas PitkänenHanna RemesPekka Martikainen

Background  Self-harm in adolescence and young adulthood is an important public health concern, but there is currently no research on trends of self-harm among Finnish youth.

Methods  We examined trends in absolute numbers and incidence rates of hospital-presenting self-harm among Finnish 13–24-year-olds in 2006–2019. The analyses are based on total population register data from Statistics Finland and Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare.

Results  The absolute numbers and incidence of hospital-presenting self-harm have increased, especially after mid-2010s and among women and girls. The increase has occurred especially in self-harm by sharp objects.

Conclusion  Hospital-presenting self-harm has increased among Finnish youth. There is an urgent need to understand and intervene upon processes underlying these changes, since previous self-harm is a strong risk factor for suicide and is also associated with subsequent mental health problems, substance use and unemployment.

Joonas Pitkänen, Hanna Remes, Pekka Martikainen

Kirjoittajat

Joonas Pitkänen VTT, tutkijatohtori Helsingin yliopisto, valtiotieteellinen tiedekunta, väestötieteen ja väestön terveyden instituutti 

Hanna Remes dosentti, VTT, yliopistotutkija Helsingin yliopisto, valtiotieteellinen tiedekunta, väestötieteen ja väestön terveyden instituutti

Pekka Martikainen PhD, professori Helsingin yliopisto, valtiotieteellinen tiedekunta, väestötieteen ja väestön terveyden instituutti

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