Conductas autolesivas en niños y adolescentes en Urgencias Pediátricas durante la Pandemia de COVID-19: relación con las medidas de restricción social y otros factores de riesgo conocidos.

Throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic, an increase in self-harm behavior (SHB) among children and adolescents has been observed. The aim of this study is to examine the rise of SHB in children and adolescents during the COVID-19 Pandemic in a Pediatric Emergency Department, considering clinical and sociodemographic variables, and to analyze the potential impact of social restriction measures on the incidence of SHB compared to other known risk factors. Data for the study was obtained from 194 discharge reports of psychiatric pediatric emergency department visits between January 2019 and June 2021, inclusive, with subjects ranging in age from 7 to 17 years old. A logistic regression model was used for data analysis. Although not significant, higher rates of SHB were observed in adolescents during the first half of 2021 (73.5%; p = 0.06). A significantly higher risk of SHB was associated with the persistence of the Pandemic, but the variable 'Pandemic semester' explained only 8.0% of the variance, and the association lost significance when the variables 'female gender' and especially 'diagnosis of affective disorder' were introduced into the regression model, explaining 35% and 53% of the variance, respectively. The increased risk of SHB in minors during the COVID-19 Pandemic would not be generalizable to the entire child and adolescent population, but would occur especially in the group of adolescent girls with underlying affective psychopathology. Further clinical and functional impact must be assessed to provide effective measures to preserve psychosocial maturation of vulnerable young people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]