[Open self-injury behavior with special reference to child and adolescent psychiatry. A review of the literature and first study findings].

The present investigation combines a review of the literature on self-mutilation and our own findings. The literature on this topic is extensive, but there are very few reports on self-mutilation in children and adolescents with a psychiatric diagnosis. In our study we explored the symptoms and psychopathological features of 64 children and adolescents with self-mutilative behavior who had been seen at an inpatient psychiatric facility. The topic is presented from a phenomenological and nosological point of view. We identified a subgroup of adolescents with both self-mutilative and suicidal behavior. The implications for the use of longitudinal studies are discussed.