Is there a difference between hospital-verified and self-reported self-harm? Implications for repetition

Repeated intentional self-harm (SH) is associated with economic costs and increased risk of suicide. Estimates of repetition vary according to method of data capture and are limited by short periods of follow-up observation. Some sources use hospital records and others self-reported SH (SRSH). Our aim was to examine the relationship between SRSH and hospital-verified SH (HVSH) and later repetition of SH (predictive validity). We also aimed to examine whether rates of SH repetition differ between first-time presenters and non-first-time presenters using either definition of SH.

Source: General Hospital Psychiatry - August 12, 2016 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Alex J. Mitchell, Shahana Hussain, James Lever, Chandhini Rajan, Andrew Jones, Natasha Malcolm, Tim Coats Source Type: research