Self Harm

Much of the information related to self harm in Ireland is linked to information about suicide.

In the UK this link is avoided because the differences between a person who feels suicidal and a person who self harms are far greater than the similarities.

In simple terms a person who self harms is likely to be doing so as a means of coping with difficult or painful feelings. They may say that it helps them to survive.

A person who feels suicidal believes that the only way to escape painful and difficult feelings is by ceasing to exist.

People who self harm need to be approached differently to those who feel suicidal.

It should be said however that some people who self harm also feel suicidal.

It has been estimated that 1 in 10 young people in Ireland self harms.

A study by the National Suicide Foundation found that just over 9% of teenagers had a history of deliberate self-harm, with girls three times more likely than boys to harm themselves. Just 11% of these had been in contact with the health service prior to self-harming and 15% afterwards.

There are a number of different organisations in Ireland working to help people who self harm. The SpunOut website contains a range of links and resources.Statistics can be found at IOBI (Injury Observatory Britain and Ireland).