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At risk youth

Study Sheds Light on Factors Influencing Self-Harm in Slovenian Adolescents

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

A significant study recently published in BMC Psychiatry has brought to light the complex interplay of factors contributing to self-harm behaviors in Slovenian adolescents. The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Ljubljana, aimed to identify genetic, psychosocial, and clinical factors associated with suicidal behaviors and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in adolescents aged 12-19. The research utilized a mixed-method observational design, enrolling a prospective longitudinal cohort of adolescents hospitalized for high risk of deliberate self-harm (DSH) and a control group of healthy adolescents.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study aims to identify genetic, psychosocial, and clinical factors associated with suicidal behaviors and NSSI in adolescents, addressing a notable gap in understanding these factors in this age group.
  • The proposed study uses a mixed-method observational design, consisting of a prospective longitudinal cohort component and a cross-sectional comparison with a control group of healthy adolescents recruited from primary care settings.
  • The study group is recruited from adolescents aged 12-19, admitted to the Intensive Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Unit in Ljubljana due to severe self-harm risk, while the control group comprises adolescents of comparable age, recruited through regular scheduled health check-ups in Slovenia.
  • Exclusion criteria include involuntary treatment, acute psychotic disorders, intellectual disability, severe physical or central nervous system illnesses, and acute intoxication.
  • The study has been approved by the National Medical Ethics Committee of the Republic of Slovenia (No: 0120-507/2022/3) and financed by Slovenian Research Agency grants J3-4534, J5-50176, and P3-0343.
  • The study represents the first longitudinal examination of psychosocial and genetic factors associated with severe suicidal and NSSI behavior in the Slovenian adolescent population, highlighting the need for effective clinical tools and psychometric assessment methods to assess the risk for these behaviors.

Statistics:

  • The study aims to enroll a prospective longitudinal cohort of 200 adolescents hospitalized for high risk of DSH and a control group of 200 healthy adolescents.
  • The study period runs from February 1, 2023, to December 31, 2025.
  • The research group will collect data on psycho-diagnostic tools assessing demographic, psychopathology, personality traits, trauma, and attachment patterns, as well as genetic analysis of blood samples using long-read sequencing.
  • Various statistical methods will be used to identify factors potentially linked to suicidality and NSSI.
  • The utility of the newly developed tool for the assessment of inpatient self-harm risk (Adolescent Self-Harm Risk Scale; ASHRS) will be tested using data on inpatient self-harm episodes and subsequent suicidal and NSSI behavior collected during follow-ups at 6 and 18 months after the initial inpatient assessment.

Sources:

  • NewsRx. Investigators at University of Ljubljana Zero in on Pain and Central Nervous System (Influences on and prevention of self-harm behavior among the most at-risk adolescents: study protocol for the SH-MARA prospective longitudinal cohort study). Mental Health Weekly Digest. October 20, 2025; p 1122.
  • [1] Influences on and prevention of self-harm behavior among the most at-risk adolescents: study protocol for the SH-MARA prospective longitudinal cohort study. BMC Psychiatry, 2025;25(1):943.
  • [2] University of Ljubljana Faculty of Medicine, Vrazov trg 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
  • [3] National Medical Ethics Committee of the Republic of Slovenia.
  • [4] Slovenian Research Agency.
  • [5] BMC Psychiatry. Bmc, Campus, 4 Crinan St, London N1 9XW, England.

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