Cases of self-harm among teenagers are rising to ‘epidemic’ proportions
Incidences of self-harming have increased by 68 percent among girls aged 13-16 since 2001, revealed a study in the British Medical Journal
CASES of self-harm among teenagers are rising alarmingly, with experts warning of “an epidemic”.
They are up 68 per cent since 2001 among girls aged 13 to 16, a British Medical Journal study found.
And the Mental Health Foundation reports ten to 20 per cent of young people self-harm — with most starting at age 12.
A Manchester University study found self-harming was three times more common among girls than boys.
Marjorie Wallace, of mental health charity Sane, said the rise was “shocking and startling”.
She added: “There is no doubt it has become an epidemic.
“It is not just the number but the severity of the injuries they are inflicting.”
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