SEXUAL EXPERIENCES AND BEHAVIOURS OF ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRIC PATIENTS COMPARED TO THOSE OF AGE-PEERS IN THE GENERAL POPULATION

Abstract

Mental health problems and sexual behaviour may have an influence on each other in adolescence. Various mental health problems are associated with risk-taking sexual behaviour or decreased sexual activity. This study used data from the School Health Promotion Study, a cross-sectional school survey in Finland from the years 2010 and 2011, and from questionnaires based on the School Health Promotion Study which adolescent psychiatric outpatients in Tampere University Hospital completed in 2011. The sexual knowledge, behaviour and experiences of adolescent psychiatric patients did not differ according to the psychiatric diagnoses set. In general, patients’ sexual experiences corresponded to those of their age-peers in the general population. The groups did not differ in terms of contraceptive use or number of sexual partners. Adolescent psychiatric patients had experienced more varied forms of sexual harassment. Young people admitted for treatment due to suicidality/self-harming behaviour were more sexually experienced than others. The link between suicidality, self-harming behaviour, sexual behaviour and experiences of sexual harassment should be considered in youth mental health services.

Keywords

• adolescence
• sexual behaviour
• mental health
• suicidality
• self-harming behaviour