Even if a teen is at a healthy weight, just thinking they are overweight can greatly raise their odds for self-harm, a new study finds.

"What we found was that the perception of being overweight has a much stronger effect of suicidal ideation than the objective measure of weight," said study lead author Philip Baiden. He's associate professor of social work at the University of Texas at Arlington.

In the study, Baiden and colleagues looked at 2015-2021 data on more than 39,000 U.S. teens, ages 14 to 18, collected by surveys conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Some of the data focused on key factors in these kids' lives: Their family's socioeconomic status, dynamics within the family, pressures at school, and tough issues experienced in childhood.

Other information about their lives was also gleaned from parents and other caregivers and school records.

The Texas team focused especially on any self-reports of suicidal thoughts (ideation). Teens who thought they were overweight had triple the odds of these intrusive thoughts, the study found.

"Even after adjusting for established suicidal ideation risk factors such as feelings of hopelessness, bullying, cyberbullying, substance use, and demographic variables, we still found a connection between how adolescents feel about their weight and whether they are considering self-harm," said study co-author Catherine LaBrenz.

"We also found that females were more at risk than males at perceiving themselves to be overweight," noted LaBrenz, an associate professor of social work at the university.

The team stressed, however, that parents, families, school, and communities can all work together to boost teens' self-image and prevent mental health crises.

"By investing in preventive measures and early-intervention programs," Baiden said, "it is possible to reduce the long-term burden on the healthcare system and improve the quality of life for young people."

If you or someone you love is in mental health crisis, help is at hand 24/7 at the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

The study was published in the March issue of Psychiatric Research.

More information

Find out more about teen mental health and body image at the Mental Health Foundation.