Heavy episodic drinking and deliberate self-harm in young people: a longitudinal cohort study

Addiction. 2014 Jun;109(6):930-6. doi: 10.1111/add.12527. Epub 2014 Mar 25.

Abstract

Aim: To assess the association between heavy episodic drinking (HED) and deliberate self-harm (DSH) in young people in Norway.

Design, setting, participants and measurements: We analysed data on past-year HED and DSH from the second (1994) and third (1999) waves of the Young in Norway Longitudinal Study (cumulative response rate: 68.1%, n = 2647). Associations between HED and DSH were obtained as odds ratios and population-attributable fractions (PAF) applying fixed-effects modelling, which eliminates the effects of time-invariant confounders.

Findings: An increase in HED was associated with an increase in risk of DSH (OR = 1.64, P = 0.013), after controlling for time-varying confounders. The estimated PAF was 28% from fixed-effects modelling and 51% from conventional modelling.

Conclusion: Data on Norwegian youths show a statistically significant association between heavy episodic drinking and deliberate self-harm.

Keywords: Deliberate self-harm; Norway; fixed effects modelling; heavy episodic drinking; panel data; prospective; young people.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Binge Drinking / epidemiology*
  • Binge Drinking / psychology*
  • Cohort Studies
  • Depression / epidemiology
  • Depression / psychology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Male
  • Models, Statistical
  • Norway
  • Odds Ratio
  • Parenting / psychology
  • Self-Injurious Behavior / epidemiology*
  • Self-Injurious Behavior / psychology*
  • Social Support
  • Statistics as Topic
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Young Adult