Perfil epidemiológico de adolescentes con conducta autolesiva en un municipio de Buenos Aires

Abstract

Self-injurious behavior is considered a serious public health problem, however there are little statistics and empirical research in Argentina. In this work, we sought to know personal and contextual aspects of adolescents with self-injurious behavior from a clinical sample made up of subjects admitted to a mental health program in a municipality in the province of Buenos Aires. Discovery: ages lower than expected (13.3% between 6 and 11 years); predominance of the female sex (79.44%); high prevalence of adverse events such as child and adolescent abuse (86%); family problems (90%) and socio-economic vulnerability (55%); cuts as the predominant type of self-injurious behavior; limited therapeutic adherence; and self-injurious behavior sustained mainly by negative intrapersonal reinforcement (consistent with the explanatory model of emotional regulation). The findings are analyzed from a critical epidemiology perspective.

The production of information regarding this problem is relevant insofar as it allows generating a diagnosis after which to produce appropriate public health responses. The lack of information contributes to the support of beliefs that naturalize the appearance of self-injurious behavior in adolescents, particularly in women, and generates prejudices regarding the motivations behind self-injurious actions.