Speakers
Description
Background | Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI), as a growing phenomenon among young people, implies a substantial threat to the mental health of adolescents and young adults, thus becoming a significant global public health problem.
Methods | Data were collected through a quantitative questionnaire survey administered face-to-face to students in ISCED 2 and ISCED 3 education levels. The research survey was conducted in two consecutive academic years and included data collection in educational institutions throughout the Czech Republic. Schools were selected using stratified random sampling and the research population included 4014 respondents aged 11-20 (male = 1834; 45.7 %).
Results | The prevalence of NSSI was 32.7 % for girls and 10.3% for boys between the ages of 11-20. With 5.3 % of girls and 1.8 % of boys committing NSSI every week. 18.9 % of adolescents experience relief from NSSI. 3.9 % of boys and 20.0 % of girls resolved a problem with their parents by harming themselves in the last year.
Discussion | Findings of a relatively high prevalence of active self-harm among adolescents highlight the seriousness of this phenomenon. The fact that a significant proportion of young people perceive self-harm as a source of relief or a way to resolve family problems underlines the complex nature of this risky behavior and the urgent need for targeted, effective interventions.
| Conflict of interest | All authors declared not to have competing interests. |
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