From the Editor
Recently, I saw an adolescent who described using self-harm as a way to cope. She discussed learning different techniques through social media. “At first, I thought it was strange.”
Presentations of self-injury appear to be becoming more common. How often are healthcare visits for it? How commonly do youth report self-injury? Have these numbers changed over time? In a new study published in JAMA Pediatrics, Dr. Natasha Saunders (of the University of Toronto) and her co-authors attempt to address these questions by drawing on 42 studies with a combined population of 234 million individuals across a dozen nations over a 25-year period. They conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis, finding an average 3.5% relative annual increase. “These findings highlight a consistent rise in health care encounters and self-reported self-injury among children and youth, particularly female individuals, over the past 2 decades.” We consider the study and its implications.
In the second selection from The British Journal of Psychiatry, Dr. Gurubhaskar Shivakumar (of The University of Sydney) and his co-authors write about lithium. They note its declining use and the problems with its safety. Yet they argue that lithium remains the “king” of bipolar disorder treatment. “Ever since its discovery, lithium continues to command authority having repeatedly reclaimed its throne.”
Finally, in the third selection, Dr. Lena Palaniyappan (of McGill University) and his co-authors discuss high-risk human-AI relationships in a paper for The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. They offer a framework and constructive suggestions – both highly relevant in the age of AI chatbots. “Risk for problematic AI engagement cuts across diagnostic categories, rooted in distress, isolation, and cognitive style.”
DG
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