Childhood Maltreatment Linked to Self-Harm In Children

Childhood maltreatment, including emotional abuse, was associated with an increased risk of non-suicidal self-injury, according to the findings of a recent study.

For their comprehensive meta-analysis, the researchers identified 71 studies that examined childhood maltreatment and non-suicidal self-injury located on Embase, MedLINE and PyschoINFO. Maltreatment included overall abuse, sexual abuse, physical abuse and neglect, and emotional abuse and neglect.
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Non-suicidal self-injury was associated with overall childhood maltreatment (OR 3.42 CI 2.74–4.26). The effect sizes for self-injury across maltreatment subtypes ranged from 1.84 for emotional neglect to 3.03 for emotional abuse. In addition, the researchers found stronger associations between non-suicidal self-injury and all subtypes of maltreatment among non-clinical samples. Publication bias was not evident, expect among studies on childhood emotional neglect.

“With the exception of childhood emotional neglect, childhood maltreatment and its subtypes are associated with non-suicidal self-injury,” the researchers concluded. “Screening of childhood maltreatment history in non-suicidal self-injury risk assessments might hold particular value in community settings, and increased attention to childhood emotional abuse is warranted.”

—Melissa Weiss

Reference:

Liu RT, Scopelliti KM, Pittman SK, Zamora AS. Childhood maltreatment and non-suicidal self-injury: a systematic review and meta-analysis [published online November 28, 2017]. Lancet Psychiatry.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(17)30469-8.