Doctors worried by increase in ‘trendy’ self-harming videos and rise in cases
Websites and blogs named as probable drivers of its popularity among young people
Doctors are alarmed by the number of young people they are seeing who are self-harming, saying that websites and blogs that promote the practice are partly to blame.
Among some friends, selfharm has become normal, with pupils wearing short sleeves and displaying the scars, they said.
“There are whole websites dedicated to self-harming. There are YouTube sensations that are dedicated to this,” said Dr Candice Render, director of Rehabilitation Services at the American Centre for Psychiatry and Neurology in Abu Dhabi.
“Unfortunately, it is a little bit more accepted [these days]. Some kids will hide it, but some wear short sleeves and are not worried that the scars will show.” In some young people “it is a cry for help, but it can be a trendy thing”.
“This cutting can lead to accidental suicide because it is not just cutting, it is like taking medication and binge drinking – eventually you will cut deep enough,” she said.
There are no publicly available figures showing selfharm admissions or outpatient visits for government or private hospitals.
But anecdotally doctors say they are dealing with an increase, which mirrors trends in other developed countries.
Last year, Britain’s NHS reported a 42 per cent increase over 10 years in the number of girls under 18 who needed hospital treatment for self-harm. “When someone knows that their friend is cutting or self-harming, they are more likely to engage in self-harming. I do see that trend,” Dr Render said.
At Maudsley Abu Dhabi, a specialist adolescent unit, up to 20 per cent of their patients have said they self-harm.
Dr Khaled Kadry, consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist, said: “We have seen, particularly in the younger generation, a rise in people who self-harm.
“I don’t have statistics, and they are usually under-reported, but we are seeing a lot more from the Emirati population presenting with it,” he said. “When we started, I didn’t hear anyone talk about self-harm.”
Dr Kadry sees about 40 to 50 new patients a month below the age of 18 – 20 per cent of those self-harm. “The youngest is 11 years old,” he said.
In Dubai, Carolyn Yaffe, a counsellor at Camali Clinic, has also noticed an increase in the practice among youngsters.
“Self-harming is often a way for them to relive pain, unfortunately – it is a very dangerous and unhealthy coping mechanism. It is very hard to pinpoint why a young person is self-harming,” Ms Yaffe said.
“There could be so many reasons, but I think there is so much academic and social pressure on young children in schools and sometimes depending on their personality, these young children can be very perfectionistic.
“So it can cause a lot of anxiety and a lot of depression, and this is where this unhealthy coping mechanism comes in.”
Al Ain Hospital is treating an Emirati boy who had locked himself in a school bathroom and slashed his wrists. He is 12 years old.
Dr Ghanem Al Hassani, consultant psychiatrist at Al Ain Hospital, said: “Self-harming is becoming very common in young children. We are aware of the problem.”
He too blamed social media and websites run by self-harmers that effectively promote the practice.
“Some children do it because all their friends are doing it and they think it is cool, and for others it is due to a mental health problem,” Dr Al Hassani said.
“In both cases it is maladaptive behaviour and, although we do know that the purpose of self-harm is not suicide. Self harming is a fad.”
Dr Al Hassani said parents should always be aware of what websites their children visit.
He said it was important they talk to their children and be aware of any behavioural changes.
“On many occasions, self-harming is a scream for attention.”