One in ten 16-year-olds in Northern Ireland who took part in a new study have said they have considered self-harming or taking an overdose.
The annual Young Life and Times (YLT) survey was carried out by Queen's and the University of Ulster.
It also revealed that almost a third of those questioned had experienced serious personal, emotional or mental health problems.
Researchers interviewed 1,367 16-year-olds.
Dr Dirk Schubotz from the School of Sociology, Social Policy and Social Work at Queen's University and YLT director, said: "These findings from the YLT survey show that despite the investment in mental health services in Northern Ireland, compared to five years ago, there has been virtually no change with regard to young people's experiences of stress and mental health problems.
'Self-punishment'
"It is particularly significant to note that still only a small minority of 16-year-olds seek professional help when experiencing serious emotional health problems.
"Although mental health campaigns have for some time attempted to de-stigmatise mental ill-health, by far the most likely reason why young people self-harm remains self-punishment.
"This suggests that young people with mental health problems keep blaming themselves for these, rather than appreciating external stressors such as pressures arising from school work or financial difficulties."
The key findings of the 2013 survey on 16-year-olds' mental health include:
28% of 16-year-olds said that they had experienced serious personal, emotional or mental health problems at some point in the past year.
Just over one third of these respondents had sought professional help for these problems.
13% of respondents said that they had, at some point in the past, seriously thought about taking an overdose or harming themselves, and 6% had thought about this in the past month.
13% of respondents said they had self-harmed - 5% had done so once and 8% more than once. The most likely reason (60%) given by these young people for doing this was that they 'wanted to punish themselves'.
The survey was undertaken by ARK on behalf of the universities.
The research aims to give an insight into the lives of 16-year-olds across Northern Ireland, by addressing a range of key issues.
据英国广播公司（BBC）5月16日报道，在一项名为“青少年生活与境况”（YLT）的调查中，几乎三分之一的调查对象曾经历严重的个人、情感或心理问题。
参与此次新调查的北爱尔兰地区的十六岁青少年中，有十分之一称曾有过自残或服食过量药物的念头。
每年一次的“青少年生活与境况”调查活动由女王大学和阿尔斯特大学联合开展。
调查还显示，几乎三分之一的被调查者曾经历过严重的个人、情感或心理问题。
研究者此次共调查1367名16岁青少年。
女王大学社会学、社会政策和社会工作学院的舒尔伯茨（Schubotz）博士是YLT的负责人，他说：“此次YLT调查得出的结果显示，尽管与五年前相比，北爱尔兰地区心理健康服务投资加大，但考虑到青少年所经历的压力和心理健康问题，情况几乎没有得到改变。”
自我惩罚
“特别需要注意的是，只有一小部分16岁青少年在经历严重的情感健康问题时会寻求专业性帮助。”
“尽管心理健康活动在一段时间内为心理不健康除去了污名，但迄今为止，青少年进行自残的最可能的原因就是进行自我惩罚。”
“这表明这些有心理问题的青少年一直为这些事情不断责怪自己，而不是把问题归咎到外部压力源身上，如来自学业和资金困难方面的压力。”
2013年对16岁青少年心理健康进行的调查的重要发现如下：
28%的16岁青少年称，在过去一年中的某些时刻，他们经历过严重的个人、情感和心理问题。
而只有略多于三分之一的调查对象在遇到这些问题时寻求过专业性帮助。
13%的调查对象说，在过去的某一时刻，他们严肃地考虑过服食过量药物或者进行自残，6%的在过去的一个月有过这种念头。
13%的调查对象表明他们曾自残过：5%自残过一次，8%自残过不止一次。青少年有如此行为的最可能的原因（60%）就是他们‘想要惩罚自己’。
此次调查由APK以女王大学和阿尔斯特大学名义进行。
研究目的在于通过解决一系列关键问题，深入探究北爱尔兰地区16岁青少年的生活。
