Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2014 Feb;49(2):193-203.
doi: 10.1007/s00127-013-0722-y. Epub 2013 Jun 7.

Parental socio-economic position during childhood as a determinant of self-harm in adolescence

Andrew Page  1 , Glyn Lewis, Judi Kidger, Jon Heron, Catherine Chittleborough, Jonathan Evans, David Gunnell
Affiliations

Parental socio-economic position during childhood as a determinant of self-harm in adolescence

Andrew Page et al. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2014 Feb.

Abstract

Purpose: Socio-economic position (SEP) during childhood and parental social mobility have been associated with subsequent health outcomes in adolescence and adulthood. This study investigates whether parental SEP during childhood is associated with subsequent self-harm in adolescence.

Methods: This study uses data from a prospective birth-cohort study (the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children) which followed 14,610 births in 1991-1992 to age 16-18 years (n = 4,810). The association of parental SEP recorded pre-birth and throughout childhood with self-harm was investigated using logistic regression models, with analyses conducted separately for those reporting self-harm (a) with and (b) without suicidal intent. The impact of missing data was investigated using multiple imputation methods.

Results: Lower parental SEP was associated with increased risk of offspring self-harm with suicidal intent, with less consistent associations evident for self-harm without suicidal intent. Associations were somewhat stronger in relation to measures of SEP in later childhood. Depressive symptoms appeared to partially mediate the associations. Adolescents of parents reporting consistently low income levels during childhood were approximately 1.5 times more likely to engage in SH than those never to report low income.

Conclusions: Lower SEP during childhood is associated with the subsequent risk of self-harm with suicidal intent in adolescence. This association is stronger in those experiencing consistently lower SEP.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Br J Psychiatry. 2008 Mar;192(3):166-70 - PubMed
    1. Psychol Med. 2007 Mar;37(3):373-82 - PubMed
    1. Am J Psychiatry. 2002 Jun;159(6):909-16 - PubMed
    1. Crisis. 2007;28(2):95-101 - PubMed
    1. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2003 Sep;57(9):745-51 - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources