A new report examines 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 entitled ‘Self-harm: Recovery, advice and support’.
 
42nd Street is a youth mental health charity working with a number of young people affected by self-harm in the Manchester area. Its team also provides support to young people through TheSite.org by answering self-harm related questions in the community section and on its ‘askTheSite’ service.

The report 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.
 
Ian Trafford, Head of Operations and Business Development at 42nd Street 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.”
 
Other key findings from the report include:
 
·         Of the 179 people surveyed, 20% were under the age of 16 despite the service being for the 16 plus age group
·         17% of all respondents described themselves as lesbian, gay or bisexual – over three times the national average (5%)
·         Between the launch in January 2009 and the end of May 2009, between 8,000 to 12,000 unique users visited TheSite.org/selfharm each month
·         During the same period of time, 128 self-harm related questions were asked through the professional advice service, ‘askTheSite’
·         More than 8 in 10 (83%) survey respondents found the self-harm section useful, and 8 in 10 (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.”

There will be a free breakfast seminar for professionals interested in learning how to support young people affected by self-harm in London on December 1 2009.

To book a place email: vicky.chant@youthnet.org

For more information view: 
www.thesite.org/selfharm