Self-Harm Poisoning Up By 50%, Says Charity

By Frazer Maude, Sky News Reporter

The number of people in Britain deliberately poisoning themselves has increased by 50% in the last 10 years, a charity has warned.

It resulted in 110,000 A&E admissions in 2012, according to the British Red Cross, which has launched a Facebook campaign to highlight the issue of self-harm among young people.

It wants friends and family of young people who harm themselves to learn how to give first aid and how to speak to them about the issue.

If someone may have swallowed poison, the Red Cross is urging people to remember "What, When, How Much?" and to call 999.

"The whole campaign talks about a range of different issues that young people might come across in their everyday lives where they may need first aid," said the charity's Paul Donnelly.

"It's absolutely essential for us to highlight those and give young people the skills they need."

A poll by the Red Cross found 42% of young people said they knew someone who had self-harmed.

Lauren Kirkpatrick, 18, is just one of the growing number of young people suffering from mental health issues in the UK.

Lauren Kirkpatrick has suffered from self-harming and suicidal thoughts

She has already been sectioned three times, and has a history of self-harming, eating disorders and suicidal thoughts.

Lauren says she began her slide into depression after moving from Manchester to a small rural community in Northumberland.

It was that change of social environment together with problems between her mother and her partner that she feels was the trigger.

"Being a teenager is very difficult regardless of where you live, or who you're living with," says Lauren.

"But when you add to that the outside pressures that you can do nothing about, it creates a real toxic potion."

Many young people like Lauren feel that they are suffering alone, but that is far from the case. It is thought that up to 850,000 young people could be facing similar problems.

Mental health charity YoungMinds estimates that 10% of young people are suffering from mental health problems such as depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

The Red Cross campaign advises how to deal with self-poisoning cases

"Mental health problems are increasing," says Lucie Russell from the charity. "Calls to ChildLine about self harming have recently shown a 165% increase.

"And the ages of those calling is getting much younger, with children as young as 13 ringing about self-harming."

Figures obtained during parliamentary questions have shown that in-patient admissions for young people in England increased by 68% due to self-harm in the decade up to 2011.

The figure amongst young women and girls is even higher - 77%.

Lauren is making good progress in her recovery, thanks in part to a scheme called Change UR Mind, a mental health youth board for the North East, delivered by the Regional Youth Work Unit in partnership with YoungMinds.

"It's been really beneficial to meet and work with other young people facing the same issues," said Lauren.

"Helping them has helped me enormously. In fact, in some ways it's helped me more than medication or therapy."

Lauren has been fortunate: She spotted the warnings herself and sought the treatment and support which has helped her turn her life around.

But charities, youth workers and politicians are now calling for more to be done to first recognise and then tackle the pressures which are leading to the alarming increase in teenage mental health problems.

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