Those who self-harm as teenagers are more at risk of developing mental health and substance misuse problems as adults, new research from the biggest study of its kind in the UK has revealed.
Researchers at the University of Bristol, working together with colleagues from the University of Oxford and University College London, collected data from 4,799 adolescents as part of Children of the 90s - one of the world's largest population studies - to examine the outcomes of self-harm for the first time.
The research paper, funded by the Medical Research Council and published online in the BMJ today [22 October], reveals that almost a fifth (19 per cent) of 16-year-olds who took part in the study had a history of self-harm and most had not sought help from health professionals.
Examining their progress over the following five years showed that even those who self-harmed without suicidal intent had an increased risk of developing mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety, compared with adolescents who had not self-harmed.
They were also more likely to self-harm in the future and to have substance misuse problems, such as using illegal drugs, smoking and drinking too much.
Those who self-harmed with suicidal intent were also more at risk of poorer GCSE and A-level results and were less likely to be in further education, training or employment three years later.
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