52% of 16-20 year olds self-harm during lockdown
On Self-harm Awareness Day, we lift the lid on the taboo subject, and shine a light on impact of the pandemic on self-harm rates
New figures suggest more than 50% of 16-20 year olds have self harmed during lockdown.
March 1st is Self Harm Awareness Day and we're shining a spotlight on the issue of people deliberately damaging their own body.
People do it for different reasons, but rates have increased since the pandemic began.
WATCH: Senior Correspondent speaks to Zoe Bailie from The Mix, alongside 17 year old Molly and 16 year old Soraya about their self harm experience.
LISTEN: You can listen to the full conversation on the #MentalHealthMonday Podcast
How serious is the issue?
A report from The Mix found
- 34% of young people who have self-harmed in the past 12 months said their tendency to self-harm has increased due to coronavirus lockdowns.
- The main reasons for the increasing tendency to self-harm during lockdowns are anxiety about the future (52%) and worries about school or education (36%). This ties in with the findings that of those who had ever self-harmed, full-time students were far more likely to say they had self-harmed in the past 12 months (46%) than young people who work (33%).
- Worryingly, among young people who had self-harmed in the past 12 months, 40% have not accessed any support services during this time.
- 30% of all 16- to 25-year-olds said they found it more difficult to get access to services.
- Some 42% of young people agreed that the stigma around self-harm would discourage them from accessing services if they needed them.
What is self-harm?
Self-harm is an often discussed, but equally misunderstood, topic. In its simplest form, self-harm is the act of an individual intentionally damaging or injuring their own body.
There are a number of ways that people harm themselves, including but not limited to:
Why do people Self Harm?
The reasons behind why people self-harm are debated, but the general consensus is that most people who self-harm do so to develop a sense of control over their own lives, or as a distraction from intense thoughts and feelings.
In self-harming, the individual seemingly gains a small amount of control back over their lives - even in a dangerous way.
Another supposition is that individuals self-harm as a way of punishing themselves for what they deem wrongful behaviour.
Where can I get support?
Head to The Mix, to find out more about what's in the report, and where you can get more information about support services.
You can speak to your GP, or and adult that you trust
Young Minds also has lots of information about self harm
Parents who have questions about self harm can take at look at this webpage from the NSPCC
The Mix's report recommends the following organisations