Self-harm and suicidal behavior in children and adolescents: Epidemiology, risk factors and prevention
Abstract
Self-harm and suiciddal behavior including completed suicides are phenomena commonly found in children and adolescents, some of them more frequently than in the general population. A number of risk factors and negative childhood experiences are linked to them.
Their summary shows that these are relatively frequent in the population of children and adolescents in institutional and protective care in Czechia. This is also reflected in the proportion of children who are harming themselves in institutional care, which was 12.1% in 2015/2016.
This is more than it was found in studies in other European countries. The article also discuss preventive measures and emphasize preventive measures aimed at vulnerable groups.
These are discussed with regard to the context of institutional and protective care in the Czehia.