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Self-Poisoning in Adolescents

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

H. C. White
H. C. White*
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Psychiatry, The United Birmingham Hospitals; The General Hospital, Steelhouse Lane, Birmingham, 4
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Extract

Studies in Great Britain concerning intentional self-harm in adolescents have been few (Haldane and Haider, 1967; Leese, 1969). Such behaviour amongst teenagers is now common, and usually takes the form of self-poisoning with drugs; in fact it is probably becoming commoner, although the reasons for this are not altogether clear. The present survey concerns 50 consecutive patients aged between 14 and 19 years, admitted to the General Hospital, Birmingham, following self-harm behaviour in 1970 and 1971. The lower age limit for the group was determined by hospital admission policy, since children under 14 are admitted elsewhere in the city. All the patients had taken drug overdoses, and none had used other methods of self-harm, such as wrist-slashing. All cases classified as intoxication or poisoning within these age limits admitted to the hospital during the relevant period were scrutinized, and care was taken to make sure that no cases of intentional self-harm were being overlooked amongst so-called accidental poisoning. All patients in the intentional self-poisoning group were interviewed by the psychiatrist within 24 hours of regaining full consciousness. Information was obtained in a standard form covering specific aspects of the history. The parents (when available and willing) were seen either by medical staff or by a social worker in an open-ended interview. The Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI) and Raven's Progressive Matrices test were administered by the psychiatrist at a later date, when all drug effects had worn off.

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 124 , Issue 578 , January 1974 , pp. 24 - 35
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1974 

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