Assessment of self-injurious behavior and oral injuries among adolescents in shelter care: a cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT Self-injurious behavior has been defined as an act directed at oneself that results in tissue damage. The aim of this study was to verify the prevalence of self-injurious behavior and the presence of oral lesions among adolescents in foster care. This is a cross-sectional study that was carried out in the shelters of the city of Recife (Brazil), with adolescents between 10 and 17 years of age, of both genders, by census survey. Data were collected through document analysis, application of the questionnaire (FASM), and physical examination, in the second half of 2021. The data were systematized by SPSS software using descriptive and inferential statistics. A total of 81 adolescents participated of the research. The average age of the patients evaluated was 13.65 years and the majority were male. As for clinical characteristics, 75.3% had one or more self-injurious behavior. Of these, the most frequent were: poking wounds 53.1%, biting oneself 40.7%, and cutting the skin 34.6%. The most observed oral lesion was linea alba 14.8%. In the association between self-injurious behavior and oral lesions, trauma and dental wear, age group, gender, shelter care situation and violence no association was recorded (p > 0.05). Self-injurious behavior may have a high occurrence percentage among adolescents in shelter/foster care. However, the adolescents had a low prevalence of changes in the oral cavity that could suggest self-injurious behavior. No association was recorded between the variables studied.