Overweight of Adolescent Girls Is Associated with Self-Mutilative Behavior

Background: The purpose of the present study was to examine the association of overweight with suicide ideation, self-mutilative behavior (SMB) and suicide attempts among underage psychiatric inpatient adolescents. Sampling and Methods: Data were collected from 439 adolescents (age = 12–17 years) admitted to psychiatric hospitalization between April 2001 and March 2006. Information on adolescents’ suicidal behavior and psychiatric DSM-IV diagnoses was obtained by using the Schedule for Affective Disorder and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children. An adolescent was defined as overweight if his/her BMI exceeded the 85th percentile BMI in the age- and sex-matched Finnish population. Results: Compared to adolescents without overweight, a 2.5-fold likelihood for SMB was found among overweight girls, but not among boys. Conclusions: Low self-esteem, depression or dysfunctional emotion regulation may be possible mediating factors between overweight and SMB.