Substance misuse disorder linked to high risk of self-harm

Abstract

Identifying people who are most at risk of self-harm is an important component of suicide prevention, given that a history of self-harm is one of the strongest risk factors for suicide. Although psychiatric disorders in general are known to increase the risk of self-harm, some diagnoses infer particularly high risks. However, as Yi Chai and colleagues acknowledge in their recent Article,1 many studies to date originate from Europe and the USA, and few studies have focussed on Asian populations.