The death of a parent increases the risks of self-injury among teens. According to a new study, teens going through a tragic event like losing one of their parents to cancer are more likely to harm themselves compared to teens living with both parents.
Researchers from Sweden found one in five adolescents, who lost one of their parents - either father or mother - cutting or burning themselves.
"We were very surprised to find that so many did it," lead researcher Tove Grenklo, a behavioral scientist at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, told Reuters Health.
The current findings come at a time when the tendency to self-harm has gone up among the young generation in the recent past. A study published in Pediatrics in June showed even young children aged seven getting relief from mental strain after physically injuring themselves. According to the authors, when one gets physically hurt, hormones called endorphins are released. The "feel-good" hormone could help in calming a person.
Apart from that, previous studies have shown children often experiencing many problems (psychiatric problems, depression, anxiety, drug and alcohol abuse) after a parent's death.
The current study published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine looked at the risks of self-injury among such children.
Children who lost one of their parents to cancer between 2000 and 2003 were included in the study. Data from Sweden's national death database was used to collect details about the participants. About 622 teens who lost a parent and 330 teens having both parents completed a survey. About 20 percent of teens who lost a parent reported hurting themselves compared to teens having both parents.
Researchers recommend for parents and teachers to maintain a friendly relationship with children, to make them more comfortable to share their feelings and to avoid such incidents.
"I'm a strong believer that we should talk with each other," said Grenklo to Reuters. "Children need to know the facts of what happened and why. And that it's OK to be sad and talk about the diseased parent."
