Truth Hurts is the last of a series of reports by the two-year nationalinquiry into self-harm,which involved more than 300 young people and wasrun by the Mental Health Foundation and the Camelot Foundation. Theinquiry also commissioned and reviewed research into self-harm.
Around 800,000 young people in the UK deliberately injure themselveseach year, the research suggests, leading to 24,000 teenagers admittedto hospitals annually. The behaviour, which starts on average at the ageof 13 but can occur in children as young as seven, usually involvescutting, burning, scalding, breaking bones or ingesting toxicsubstances.
The inquiry concluded that no mental health strategy for young peopledirectly focuses on the problem. General efforts to promote emotionalwellbeing and mental health, which can tackle the root causes ofself-harming behaviour, such as the Healthy Schools Initiative, were"patchy" and unco-ordinated.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
