Halton self-harm cases higher than national average
THERE were more than 400 cases of people from Halton ending up in hospital last year for selfharm.
The latest figures from the NHS reveal that people in the borough were hospitalised a total of 430 times in 2015-16.
It works out as one hospital stay for every 294 people in Runcorn and Widnes.
Nearby St Helens has one of the highest rates of people ending up in hospital for selfharm in the country with 670 admissions in 2015-16. That’s one hospital stay for self-harm for every 265 people in St Helens – one of the highest rates in England, and almost twice the national average.
Across the country, people were hospitalised for intentionally harming themselves on nearly 110,000 occasions – which works out at one instance for every 499 people in England.
Everywhere else in Merseyside also had higher than average rates of self-harm that resulted in hospital stays.
In Liverpool, for example, people were hospitalised for self-harming 1,341 times, or once for every 357 people living in the area.
Sefton saw the lowest rates, with just one instance for every 378 people – 725 cases in total.
Across the country, women and girls were much more likely to end up in hospital for self-harming than boys, and the same is true in Merseyside.
Throughout the region, women were admitted to hospital for intentionally harming themselves 2,505 times, while men were on 1,593 occasions.
Self-harm is an expression of personal distress, and while it is not always the case that someone is attempting suicide when they self-harm, there is a significant and persistent risk of this in the future.
As self-harm episodes that result in admission to hospital only represent the most severe cases, these are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to overall rates of self-harm.
Lucy Lyus, information manager at mental health charity Mind, said: “It’s concerning to see such high rates of hospital admissions for selfharm, particularly among women and girls.
“It’s important healthcare professionals work collaboratively with someone who selfharms to understand what treatments work best for them, while keeping them safe.
“We know that sometimes people hospitalised because of self-inflicted injuries are not shown the care and respect they need and deserve.
“Treatment for self-harm should be sensitive, nonjudgemental, and holistic – not just tending to the physical problem but addressing any underlying mental health issues too.
“People who self-harm need understanding, help and support, rather than being stigmatised or blamed, which only serves to worsen their mental health and increase the likelihood of self-harming again.” ●