Health Risk Behaviours

Self-injury and suicide among young people have become a pressing public health concern for contemporary society. Rates of self-injury have been rising sharply over the past two decades, particularly in the last five years, and suicide rates remain unacceptably high. Addressing these challenges demands a multifaceted approach that integrates theoretical, empirical, and practical perspectives. This Special Issue of Healthcare, “Health Risk Behaviours: Self-Injury and Suicide in Young People”, brings together contributions that reflect this multidimensional approach. The eight papers included in the collection examine the experiences of young people themselves, the psychological processes associated with self-harm and suicidal thinking, the influence of social and cultural environments, and emerging strategies for intervention and service delivery. They offer new insights into the complexity of self-injury and suicide while also highlighting important gaps that remain in the knowledge and in practice.