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According to evolutionary psychology, the presence of masculine sexual dimorphic traits is an indicator of the hidden qualities of the organism. On the other hand, it is also characteristic of men with low levels of warmth, honesty, and a reluctance to invest in offspring. As female reproductive goals vary across a woman’s lifespan, changing from finding the best donor of “good genes” to a commitment to a “selfless caregiver”, it is probable that the attractiveness of masculine/feminine facial features in male faces changes across a lifespan. The results of the study indicate that the degree of preference for masculine male faces increases from their teens, reaches a maximum during the period of reproduction before marriage and decreases in older age, with a statistically significant decrease in the postmenopausal period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper addresses self-harming behaviour and the prevalence of eating disorders in females in adolescence and young adulthood. It aims to identify the difference between the total score and the score of the individual symptoms of eating disorders in young women with and without self-harming behaviour. The study sample consists of 60 women (ED) aged 15 – 26 (mean age = 18.4 years) who suffer from an eating disorder, of which N = 30 (50%) exhibit self-harming behaviour. The participants were tested using a modified SHI (Self-Harm Inventory) questionnaire to identify SH, and the EDI-2 (Eating Disorders Inventory) to establish the total score and individual symptoms of ED. SH participants with ED scored statistically significantly higher in six subscales and the total EDI-2 score than non-SH participants with ED (sig. ≤ 0.000). The results of the data analysis of the study sample clearly demonstrate that those participants who SH have more pronounced symptomology of ED. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-disclosure is the key prerequisite for the provision of help and professional intervention in the case of mental difficulties. Self-harming behaviour is a problem in this area that has been a remarkably strong taboo, and as such, this form of behaviour is often hidden. The most at risk category in this context are adolescents who demonstrably receive the least psychological intervention and for whom self-harm is a high-risk behaviour (considering its prevalence, health risks, lethality and consequences for their future mental health). This study observes the prevalence of self-harming behaviour (45.3%) in a sample of 2,210 adolescents aged from 11 to 19, and subsequently observes the willingness of the subjects to self-disclose self-harming behaviour in a sample subset of 1,002 self-harming adolescents (mean age = 15.37; 68.6% female). 55.2% of self-harmers were willing to provide data on this topic; and only 51.5% of them stated that they had disclosed their self-harming behaviour to someone else, most frequently to their peer(s) (80.0%). Female subjects disclosed this information significantly more often than men (p = 0.000) and were significantly more willing (p = 0.025) to provide data about their behaviour in this area. There were no age specificities observed in the self-disclosure by self-harming adolescents. The analysis of the results suggests a need to provide the target group of adolescents with information regarding the help available to self-harming individuals as well as a need of further scientific observation of possible barriers, facilitators or interventional (e.g. personality-related) variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper addresses the potential for the identification of self-harming individuals in the adolescent population through three different systems - the SHI questionnaire (Self-Harm Inventory), the definitions of intentional self-harm from ICD-10 and the diagnostic criteria listed for Non-Suicidal Self-Injury in DSM-5. It is followed by an evaluation of their effectiveness based on the extent of the undetected cases of self-harm. The study was conducted on a sample of 2,210 Slovak adolescents aged from 11 to 19 (mean age = 15.3; st. dev. = 1.67 years). The DSM-5 system proved to be the least effective, with a statistically significant (sig. = 0.000) drop-out of cases. For the purpose of diagnosing self-harm in the adolescent population, we propose a checklist of the forms of self-harm, which would, in addition to direct forms of physical self-harm, also include indirect physical and mental forms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychologists, psychiatrists, doctors, and other associated professions, as well as the public from all over Europe have noticed the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health. In this regard, adolescents appear to be a highly vulnerable group, which is more affected than adults and children in many aspects. This study focuses on a specific and extremely maladaptive way of coping with mental stress and problems - deliberate self-harm. It offers an epidemiological study of the prevalence of self-harm among Slovak youths, its forms and related variables, carried out on a sample of 2,280 adolescents aged 11 - 19 using the SHI questionnaire. The results reveal that within the overall prevalence of 45.2%, the most vulnerable group are girls from nontraditional families who began to self-harm at an early age. The most frequent forms of self-harm among adolescents were torturing with selfdefeating thoughts, followed by both direct and indirect forms of physical self-harm. An analysis of the willingness to disclose self-harming behaviour shows that the need to raise awareness of this behaviour should be mostly oriented towards adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]