Pediatric Self-Harm Risk Factors
May is Mental Health Awareness Month As we have discovered during this May’s observance of Mental Health Awareness Month , the United States currently finds itself mired in a mental health crisis , a predicament the American Academy of Pediatrics declared a national emergency for children and adolescents in 2021. Self-harm (including cutting and burning) and suicide have been on the rise in the U.S. in recent years, especially during the pandemic. A study published this month in Pediatrics examines which children and teens are at highest risk for serious self-harm injuries and suicide. The researchers note that suicide risk is based on a number of personal and social factors: Risk for suicide is likely the result of a complex interaction between a number of diverse and dynamic factors ranging from individual (eg, psychiatric comorbidities), family (family history of mental disorders, family conflict, and support), social support (friend network, outpatient psy...