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The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
National
Steph Brawn

Minister vows to take 'decisive action' over rise in self-harm among children

Research has revealed the number of children admitted to hospital with injuries that suggest self-harm has increased significantly since the start of the pandemic

THE Scottish Government is taking “decisive action” to bring down the number of children being admitted to hospital with self-harm-related injuries, mental health minister Kevin Stewart has said. 

Research has revealed the number of kids going to hospital with injuries that suggest self-harm is up by a third since the start of the pandemic.

There were 1707 inpatients under the age of 18 diagnosed with self-harm-related injuries last year, up from 1141 in 2019 and more than double the number diagnosed a decade ago.

Independent researchers at the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Spice) have prepared a briefing for MSPs on the alarming Public Health Scotland (PHS) figures before publication of Scotland’s new suicide prevention action plan in September.

Stewart has said young people’s mental health is a “priority” and a range of new services will be tested to tackle self-harm over the next three years.

Meanwhile, a stand-alone Scottish self-harm strategy – believed to be the first of its kind – is also being developed.

"Children and young people’s mental health is a priority for the Scottish Government and we are taking decisive action to address the significant impact the pandemic has had on this group,” said Stewart.

“Following additional investment of £40 million last year for CAMHS [Children and Adolescent Mental Health services], the latest national performance data is showing that more than 5,000 children and young people began treatment in the last quarter, the highest-ever recorded.​

“The Government is also taking targeted action now to support people who self-harm. This includes testing a range of new services over the next three years, starting this summer to provide vital support to children as young as 12.

“We are also developing a stand-alone Scottish self-harm strategy – we believe the first of its kind – which aims to ensure the right policies and compassionate support are in place for people who self-harm, so that we can tailor our responses. 

“In all our work on self-harm we are engaging with people with lived experience, and services that support them.”

Self-harm includes non-fatal overdoses, alcohol poisoning and self-inflicted bodily injuries and excludes accidents, substance misuse short of poisoning and eating disorders.

PHS records data on the number of inpatients diagnosed with self-harm-related injuries in Scottish NHS acute hospitals, for both adults and children.

The Spice briefing added: “These figures will only show a small proportion of the total of intentional self-harm in Scotland.”

According to the Scottish Health Survey, self-harm is particularly common among young women although its data does not include information on self-harm in those under 16.

In response to the Spice research, Children and Young People’s Commissioner for Scotland said mental health and access to services was a “huge concern” and highlighted its recent warnings about the effect of Covid-19 on waiting times for mental health services.

Spice found that the suicide rate in Scotland declined between 202 and 2017 but increased in 2018 and 2019 before falling slightly in 2020.

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