Adolescent with non-suicidal self-harm in a psychosocial adversity environment

• Published in: Archivos argentinos de pediatría Vol. 117; no. 5; p. e485
• Main Authors: Del Brío Ibáñez, Pablo, Vázquez Fernández, Marta E, Imaz Roncero, Carlos
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Spanish
• Published: Argentina 01.10.2019
• Subjects: self-injurious behavior; child psychiatry; adolescent psychiatry
• ISSN: 1668-3501
• DOI: 10.5546/aap.2019.e485

Non-suicidal harmful behaviors pose a health problem of increasing importance, with a prevalence in community samples of adolescents of 15-20 %. Self-harm can have adverse meaning, qualifying in intrapersonal or interpersonal; they are a risk and evolutionary factor, with an age of onset in early adolescence. We present the case of a 12-year-old adolescent with psychosocial risk factors, who went to the consultation for self-cuts in arms and legs, made with a razor, detected in the school. It was enhanced her self-steem an guided in regulation of emotions with multidisciplinary intervention (educational system, social services, infantile-juvenile Psychiatry and Pediatrics), with a positive evolution. It is vital to detect and approach this issue with the patient and the family to avoid future risks, especially psychic pathology. The intervention is done from Primary Care, but it is necessary the collaboration of other professionals.