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Q How common is self-injurious behaviour in college students in the US?
METHODS
Design:
Cross sectional study.
Setting:
Two universities, North-Eastern USA; 2005.
Population:
2875 graduate and undergraduate students (56% female; 73% between 18 and 24 years old; 65% white; 92% heterosexual).
Assessment:
Participants completed an online questionnaire that assessed lifetime frequency of self-injurious behaviour, age of onset, severity, affected parts of the body and whether formal help was sought. It also assessed risk factors for self-injurious behaviour, presence of other conditions known to be linked with self-injurious behaviour, recent psychological distress, suicide-related behaviours, and help-seeking behaviours. People who injured themselves in an attempt to commit suicide were not included in the self-injurious behaviour category, as self-injurious behaviours are acts that are carried out without suicidal intent.
Outcomes:
Incidence of self-injurious behaviour.
MAIN RESULTS
The lifetime prevalence of self-injurious behaviour was 17% and the 12-month prevalence was 7%. Average age of onset of self-injurious behaviour …
Footnotes
For correspondence: Janis Whitlock, PhD, MPH, Family Life Development Center, Beebe Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; jlw43{at}cornell.edu
Sources of funding: Cornell University School of Human Ecology Seed and Innovation Grant, US.
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