Work absence in parents of youth who self-harm
(2025) In BMJ Mental Health 28(1).- Abstract
Background Self-harm is a prevalent health concern among youths, with significant psychosocial impacts on both youths and their parents. The aim of this study is to describe the impact of offspring self-harm on parental work absence. Methods This cohort study included 176 472 mothers and 161833 fathers of 17 726 youths with a first self-harm diagnosis between the years of 2006 and 2016 and 177 260 matched youths without self-harm. It examined work absence due to family leave to care for a sick child and sick leave, before and after the child’s self-harm. Data were sourced from Swedish population-based registers. Conditional Poisson regression, adjusting for potential confounders, was used to analyse associations between self-harm and... (More)
Background Self-harm is a prevalent health concern among youths, with significant psychosocial impacts on both youths and their parents. The aim of this study is to describe the impact of offspring self-harm on parental work absence. Methods This cohort study included 176 472 mothers and 161833 fathers of 17 726 youths with a first self-harm diagnosis between the years of 2006 and 2016 and 177 260 matched youths without self-harm. It examined work absence due to family leave to care for a sick child and sick leave, before and after the child’s self-harm. Data were sourced from Swedish population-based registers. Conditional Poisson regression, adjusting for potential confounders, was used to analyse associations between self-harm and work absence in parents of youth with and without self-harm after the self-harm event, as well as in parents of self-harming youth before and after the self-harm event. Results Parents of both sexes experienced work absence. Nevertheless, mothers were particularly affected. Youth self-harm was linked to increased family leave (rate ratios: mothers 3.47 (95% CI 3.25 to 3.72), fathers 2.71 (2.47 to 2.98)) and sick leave (mothers 1.25 (1.20 to 1.31), fathers 1.25 (1.17 to 1.33)). Parents of affected youth took more family leave during the self-harm year compared with the previous year (mothers 1.65 (1.55 to 1.75), fathers 1.41 (1.29 to 1.54)), with no corresponding rise in sick leave. Conclusions Parents of self-harming youths experience increased work absence, especially family leave, peaking around self-harm events. These results highlight the broader impact of youth self-harm on families and the need for support systems addressing both youth and caregiver well-being and work–life balance.
(Less)
- author
- Karemyr, Moa ; Gubi, Ester ; Ohlis, Anna ; Hadlaczky, Gergö ; Mataix-Cols, David LU ; Hellner, Clara ; Kuja-Halkola, Ralf and Bjureberg, Johan
- organization
- publishing date
- 2025-09
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Child & adolescent psychiatry, Suicide & self-harm
- in
- BMJ Mental Health
- volume
- 28
- issue
- 1
- article number
- e301833
- publisher
- BMJ Publishing Group
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:41022488
- scopus:105017758236
- DOI
- 10.1136/bmjment-2025-301833
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- bf1a1d08-4ed2-47d6-be21-247f31dd0af1
- date added to LUP
- 2025-11-26 13:31:42
- date last changed
- 2026-01-08 01:47:34
@article{bf1a1d08-4ed2-47d6-be21-247f31dd0af1,
abstract = {{<p>Background Self-harm is a prevalent health concern among youths, with significant psychosocial impacts on both youths and their parents. The aim of this study is to describe the impact of offspring self-harm on parental work absence. Methods This cohort study included 176 472 mothers and 161833 fathers of 17 726 youths with a first self-harm diagnosis between the years of 2006 and 2016 and 177 260 matched youths without self-harm. It examined work absence due to family leave to care for a sick child and sick leave, before and after the child’s self-harm. Data were sourced from Swedish population-based registers. Conditional Poisson regression, adjusting for potential confounders, was used to analyse associations between self-harm and work absence in parents of youth with and without self-harm after the self-harm event, as well as in parents of self-harming youth before and after the self-harm event. Results Parents of both sexes experienced work absence. Nevertheless, mothers were particularly affected. Youth self-harm was linked to increased family leave (rate ratios: mothers 3.47 (95% CI 3.25 to 3.72), fathers 2.71 (2.47 to 2.98)) and sick leave (mothers 1.25 (1.20 to 1.31), fathers 1.25 (1.17 to 1.33)). Parents of affected youth took more family leave during the self-harm year compared with the previous year (mothers 1.65 (1.55 to 1.75), fathers 1.41 (1.29 to 1.54)), with no corresponding rise in sick leave. Conclusions Parents of self-harming youths experience increased work absence, especially family leave, peaking around self-harm events. These results highlight the broader impact of youth self-harm on families and the need for support systems addressing both youth and caregiver well-being and work–life balance.</p>}},
author = {{Karemyr, Moa and Gubi, Ester and Ohlis, Anna and Hadlaczky, Gergö and Mataix-Cols, David and Hellner, Clara and Kuja-Halkola, Ralf and Bjureberg, Johan}},
keywords = {{Child & adolescent psychiatry; Suicide & self-harm}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{1}},
publisher = {{BMJ Publishing Group}},
series = {{BMJ Mental Health}},
title = {{Work absence in parents of youth who self-harm}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjment-2025-301833}},
doi = {{10.1136/bmjment-2025-301833}},
volume = {{28}},
year = {{2025}},
}