Age- and sex-dependent increase in self-harm among adolescents with mental health problems in East China during COVID-19 related society-wide isolation

• DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1129123
• Publication Date: 2023-03-09T07:20:00Z
• Authors: Wenjing Liu; Zhishan Hu; Zhen Liu; Fang Zhang; Yue Ding; Ying Shui; Zhi Yang; Wenhong Cheng
• Keywords: Social Isolation

Objective The COVID-19 pandemic has raised concerns about child and adolescent mental health issues, such as self-harm. impact of society-wide isolation on self-harming behaviors among adolescents in China is unclear. In addition, different ages sexes have varying abilities to cope with environmental changes. However, these differences are rarely considered self-harm studies. We aimed characterize the age- sex-dependent effects COVID-19-related East China. Methods collected 63,877 medical records children aged 8–18 who had an initial visit Shanghai Mental Health Center between 2017 2021 charted annual rates for each age sex. Using interrupted time series analysis, we modeled global seasonal trends effect rates. Results Females 10–17 males 13–16 exhibited significantly increasing rate ( p fdr < 0.05) past 5 years. Eleven-year-old females 2020 showed a (37.30%) that exceeded peak all 2019 (age 13, 36.38%). elevated female patients 12 [RR 1.45 (95% CI 1.19–1.77); = 0.0031] 13 years 1.33 1.15–1.5); 0.0031], while were less affected. Further, emotional disorders dominated increased Conclusion Society-wide significant early China, especially those disturbances, brought forward This study calls attention risk adolescents.