Risk factors for deliberate self-poisoning among children and adolescents in The Netherlands

Figures & data

Figure 1. Patient selection flow-chart, covering all inclusions from 1 February 2022 until 31 January 2023.

Table 1. Patient characteristics of deliberate self-poisonings among children and adolescents reported to the Dutch Poisons Information Center.

Characteristic	n = 1,424, n (%)
Age, years^a
10	1 (0.1)
11	14 (1.0)
12	32 (2.2)
13	168 (11.8)
14	262 (18.4)
15	294 (20.6)
16	328 (23.0)
17	325 (22.8)
Gender
Male^b	216 (15.2)
Female^c	1,206 (84.7)
Non-binary	1  (0.1)
Unknown	1  (0.1)
Living situation
At home with parents or caregivers	913 (64.1)
Residence with mental healthcare	259 (18.2)
Mental healthcare facility	187 (13.1)
Group home/assisted living	72 (5.1)
Other	45 (3.2)
Foster care	12 (0.8)
Family replacement home	11 (0.8)
Refugee center	11 (0.8)
Care farm	3 (0.2)
Juvenile detention center	3 (0.2)
Other	5 (0.4)
Unknown	207 (14.5)

^a For the ages 8 and 9, no patients were included.

^b Eighteen of the males included were reported to be transgender (biologically female).

^c Five of the females included were reported to be transgender (biologically male).

Table 2. Top 10 substances used in deliberate self-poisoning among children and adolescents living at home with parents/caregivers and children and adolescents living in a mental healthcare facility.

	All deliberate self-poisonings (n = 1,424), n (%)			Living at home with parents/caregivers (n = 913), n (%)			Living in a mental healthcare facility (n = 187), n (%)
1	Paracetamol	649 (46)	1	Paracetamol	463 (51)	1	Paracetamol	62 (33)
2	Ibuprofen	216 (15)	2	Ibuprofen	131 (14)	2	Ibuprofen	37 (20)
3	Household products^a	77 (5)	3	Fluoxetine	53 (6)	3	Household products^a	25 (13)
4	Methylphenidate	73 (5)	4	Methylphenidate	48 (5)	4	Personal care products^b	13 (7)
5	Fluoxetine	68 (5)	5	Oxazepam	38 (4)	5	Foreign bodies^c	8 (4)
6	Quetiapine	55 (4)	6	Quetiapine	32 (4)	6	Promethazine	7 (4)
7	Oxazepam	49 (3)		Household products^a	32 (4)	7	Naproxen	6 (3)
8	Melatonin	45 (3)	8	Naproxen	30 (3)		Quetiapine	6 (3)
9	Naproxen	42 (3)	9	Sertraline	27 (3)	9	Fluoxetine	4 (2)
10	Aripiprazole	38 (3)	10	Aripiprazole	26 (3)		Disinfectants	4 (2)

^a This included all household products. See Supplementary Table 2 for a more detailed description of which products are included as household products.

^b This included all personal care products. See Supplementary Table 2 for a more detailed description of which products are included as personal care products.

^c This included all foreign bodies, which were mostly batteries (n = 6). See Supplementary Table 2 for a more detailed description of which products are included as foreign bodies.