Medical experts identify new self-harming behavior among troubled teens

Physicians from Nationwide Children's Hospital (NCH) are concerned about a growing trend among adolescents called Self-Embedding Behavior (SEB), which is a form of self-harm.

During a three-year study, officials from NCH identified 11 patients who demonstrated SEB, which is when individuals insert foreign objects into their soft tissue, either under their skin or into a muscle. The researchers said 75 percent of the participants said that they had suicidal ideations and they were intentionally causing serious harm to themselves.

The study, which will appear in the June issue of the journal Pediatrics, defines SEB as a dangerous behavior that should be differentiated from other forms of self-injury. The co-author of the study urged practitioners to research SEB and then pursue targeted intervention strategies to curb the trend.

Of the study's participants, 82 percent were female and every adolescent had been diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder. Furthermore, about 90 percent of the teens had a history of out-of-home placements at the time that they engaged in SEB.

Thus, foster children or juvenile offenders who are removed from their homes may be vulnerable to self-harming behaviors.

Adolescents who have suicidal ideations may benefit from enrolling in summer camps for troubled teens.