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Self Harm in Teenagers on a Rise Figures Reveal.

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5 October 2015

By Alex Khalil

More than 15 young people per week were admitted to hospital for self harm in the North East last year.

Health experts claim that ‘mental well being’ should be put back on the political agenda to prevent further admissions. In some areas of Tyne and Wear, self harm admissions for 10-14-year-olds has doubled since 2011, while in others, admissions have increased by 78% in 15-19-year-olds.

Dr Paul McArdle, adolescent psychiatrist for Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust, claimed these figures were ‘alarming’: “The amount of money being spent on mental health in young people is relatively small in relation to the scale of the problem.”

“These young people will quite possibly grow up into unhappy, unhealthy adults. We have all these political party conferences going on at the minute but no one seems to be putting children’s mental heath on the agenda.”

Sunderland saw the most admissions in 2014-2015, with 199 admissions. As many as 79 of these were children aged 10-14, a 114% increase from the 37 admissions in that age group between 2011 and 2012.

South Tyneside has seen the largest influx in admissions with numbers rising from 41 to 73 over the same number of years.

Self harm is a serious issue, encompassing a range of different types, including self-poisoning, deliberate motor vehicle damage, or using blunt and sharp objects.

If you have any feelings of self harm such as the ones described above, please get in touch with those who could help, such as StreetWise and even the NHS.

Help is never far away.

 

 

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