Self-harm Behaviors in Children and Adolescents at a Pediatric Emergency Unit During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Relationship with Social Restriction Measures and Other Known Risk Factors

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2023-08-15

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Ferrer, M., Calvo, N., Rué, À., Andión, Ó., Soriano Dia, A., González Domínguez, M., Gallego Pardo, L., Castillo Martínez, M., Sancosmed-Ron, M., González Peris, S., & Ramos Quiroga, J. A. (2023). Self-harm Behaviors in Children and Adolescents at a Pediatric Emergency Unit During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Relationship with Social Restriction Measures and Other Known Risk Factors. Revista De Psiquiatría Infanto-Juvenil, 40(3), 15–23. https://doi.org/10.31766/revpsij.v40n3a3

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Vol. 40 No. 3 (2023): Julio-Septiembre

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Orginial article

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Copyright (c) 2023 Revista de Psiquiatría Infanto-Juvenil

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

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Authors

  • M. Ferrer Servicio de Psiquiatría, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Biomedical Network Research Centre on Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Grupo de Psiquiatría, Salud Mental y Adicciones, Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Departamento de Psiquiatría y Medicina Legal, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1283-8578
  • N. Calvo Servicio de Psiquiatría, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Biomedical Network Research Centre on Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Grupo de Psiquiatría, Salud Mental y Adicciones, Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Departamento de Psiquiatría y Medicina Legal, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6888-3781
  • À. Rué Servicio de Psiquiatría, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Grupo de Psiquiatría, Salud Mental y Adicciones, Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Barcelona https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3879-0170
  • Ó. Andión Research Sherpas, Sabadell https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9663-3632
  • A. Soriano Dia Servicio de Psiquiatría, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Barcelona https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0047-1622
  • M. González Domínguez Servicio de Psiquiatría, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Barcelona
  • L. Gallego Pardo Servicio de Psiquiatría, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron
  • M. Castillo Martínez Departamento de Urgencias Pediátricas, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6342-3535
  • M. Sancosmed-Ron Departamento de Urgencias Pediátricas, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8881-8760
  • S. González Peris Departamento de Urgencias Pediátricas, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8186-8669
  • J. A. Ramos Quiroga Servicio de Psiquiatría, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Biomedical Network Research Centre on Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Grupo de Psiquiatría, Salud Mental y Adicciones, Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Departamento de Psiquiatría y Medicina Legal, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1622-0350

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31766/revpsij.v40n3a3

Keywords:

COVID-19 Pandemic, self-harm behaviors, Affective disorders, Adolescent, mental health

Abstract

Throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic, an increase in self-harm behavior (SHB) among children and adolescents has been observed. The aim of this study is to examine the rise of SHB in children and adolescents during the COVID-19 Pandemic in a Pediatric Emergency Department, considering clinical and sociodemographic variables, and to analyze the potential impact of social restriction measures on the incidence of SHB compared to other known risk factors. Data for the study was obtained from 194 discharge reports of psychiatric pediatric emergency department visits between January 2019 and June 2021, inclusive, with subjects ranging in age from 7 to 17 years old. A logistic regression model was used for data analysis. Although not significant, higher rates of SHB were observed in adolescents during the first half of 2021 (73.5%; p = 0.06). A significantly higher risk of SHB was associated with the persistence of the Pandemic, but the variable 'Pandemic semester' explained only 8.0% of the variance, and the association lost significance when the variables 'female gender' and especially 'diagnosis of affective disorder' were introduced into the regression model, explaining 35% and 53% of the variance, respectively. The increased risk of SHB in minors during the COVID-19 Pandemic would not be generalizable to the entire child and adolescent population, but would occur especially in the group of adolescent girls with underlying affective psychopathology.. Further clinical and functional impact must be assessed to provide effective measures to preserve psychosocial maturation of vulnerable young people.

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