New report highlights self harm needs to be taken more seriously

A new report published today gives a rare insight into the behaviour and medical treatment of people who self-harm. Created by youth charities 42nd Street, Depaul UK and YouthNet, the report is an evaluation of‘Self-harm: Recovery, advice and support’ a joint service provided on TheSite.org/selfharm.

It includes survey results with 179 users of the service, as well as excerpts of in-depth interviews with health professionals and young people – many of which are critical of NHS treatment of self-inflicted injuries.

The report highlights that self harm needs to be taken more seriously by health professionals. One General Physician from a London A&E department is quoted in the reports as saying: “If you go to A&E on a Friday night it is full of people who are sick. We are busy all the time, and maybe there is someone who self-harms who has come to A&E or called 999 but then they don’t give us their history so you kind of just want to shake them and not waste our time because you have lots of people who are very sick.”

The report also includes user figures of the service and found that the article ‘What happens at A&E?’ was the third most used following ‘What is self-harm?’ and ‘Why do people self-harm?’ indicating that this is also an issue of concern to young people.

Alisia,25, one of the young people interviewed in the report, spoke of her treartment: “When I have been to hospital to get my wounds dressed I had horrible treatments from nurses. When I was in rehab I got horrible treatment because I was a self-harmer and the first rehab I was in they made me sign a contract to say if I self-harm I would get thrown out of the establishment.

“On the second rehab, because I was self-harming, they held a consultation group where people confront each other with their fears and anxieties. They sat everybody in a circle and the whole focus of the group was my self-harming and everybody was shouting at me, screamed at me, called me names, said that I was attention seeking. It did not help me at all it made me feel worse, made me want to self-harm more. It did not help at all.”

The report also found that of the 179 people surveyed, 17% described themselves as lesbian, gay or bisexual – over three times the national average (5%). This statistic highlights that self harm is a serious issue amongst young LGBs which needs urgent attention.

Ian Trafford, from the Manchester based charity 42nd Street, who work with young people with mental health issues and have a specific LGB&T support group said: “Self-harm is a hugely complex issue and is often linked to numerous emotional and mental health problems – when looking at the injury in isolation, it is easy to see why some people find it difficult to understand.

“However, it is disappointing that we’re still hearing about examples of inadequate care for some young people following instances of self harm. This is in spite of the fact that there are now NICE guidelines.

“In some areas, Manchester for example, the presence of mental health A&E liaison and crisis resolution teams has meant that young people are getting the treatment they need – a sign that with the right resources, training and understanding, things can be better for young people who self-harm.”

The report aslo found that despite the Self-harm: Recovery, advice and support’ service being aimed at over sixteens - 20% of respondents were under the age of 16 highlighting another area of need.

Between the launch of the online service in January 2009 and the end of May 2009, between 8,000 to 12,000 unique users visited TheSite.org/selfharm each month.

More than 83% of survey respondents found the self-harm section useful, and 80% said they would recommend the section to someone who needed advice or help about self-harm.

Patrick Daniels, Advice and Volunteer Manager for YouthNet, said: “What’s come through loud and clear from this report, and through our work with young people, is that providing the right kind of emotional and practical support to young people who self-harm at an early point can be life changing for them.

“Early intervention is proven to reduce the long-term impact of mental health and emotional issues for many, and the anonymity and accessibility of online services mean that the internet service is perfectly placed to provide this support.”

If you self harm, or are worried about someone who does and want to know more about getting help visit: TheSite.org

LGF HELPLINE: Alternatively, if you are feeling isolated, low, or just need someone to talk to, you can call the LGF helpline on 0845 3 30 30 30 (local call rate), 6pm-10pm (Staffed), 10pm-6pm (automated system).

FACE 2 FACE COUNSELLING SESSIONS: The LGF's counselling service is currently able to offer free counselling to people under the age of 25. If you are thinking about coming out, or are struggling to accept your sexuality, maybe having problems with your relationship or are feeling anxious or depressed. What ever the reason, if you feel you might benefit from a period of counselling.

Self harm is common amongst young lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people, so much so that they have been identified as a particularly vulnerable group. Find out how you can help LGB kids aim high here.