Action! for the Prevention of Self-harm

Join us for a “Smashing” Conference on Self harm presenting to Emergency Departments 2nd December 2009

Mackworth Hotel Derby 9:00 till 16:15

Suicide Prevention by Managing & Assessing Self Harm Incorporating Nice Guidance

The East Midland Development Centre has been reviewing the management of self harm assessments in the major Acute Hospitals across the region.

A 47 year old man who had lost both his parents in the space of 18 months and had a history of self harm had his requests for admission to hospital declined on the grounds that it was not appropriate.

The man was later found hanged in a barn

Mr Melvyn Williams was not considered to be suffering from mental illness by the South Staffordshire and Shropshire NHS Foundation Trust

It is extremely difficult to provide accurate statistics on self harm, not least because it is a problem that tends to be kept secret and often only comes to light when medical intervention is required. Furthermore, research into self harm often uses different definitions of what it actually is.

There has, however been numerous studies and surveys carried out over the years that have attempted to throw at least some light onto the figures.

Figures released recently report an increase of a third in cases of self-harm in the UK over the past five years. In England alone there were 97,871 cases of hospital admission for deliberate self-injury in 2007-08. Extrapolate that into countries like America and Australia and it can threaten to reach epidemic like proportions.

New research from the World Health Organisation reveals that the growing gap between rich and poor has let to ‘an increase in mental health problems including depression and self-harm in countries like the UK and US’.