Update: Children and Teenagers with Tendency to Self-Harm – Health 25th September, 2014

 
  *  To ask the Minister for Health the extent to which he remains satisfied regarding the adequacy of support services for children and teenagers identified as having a tendency to self-harm; the number of instances of such vulnerable young persons brought to the attention of his Department in the past twelve months; the extent to which it has been possible to make a positive intervention; if any particular deficiencies have been identified; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

                                                                                         Bernard J. Durkan T.D.

 
REPLY.
The National Suicide Research Foundation (NSRF), which is funded by the National Office for Suicide Prevention (NOSP) operates the National Registry of Deliberate Self Harm.  This is a national system which monitors the occurrence of deliberate self-harm presenting to hospital Emergency Departments.  The NSRF compiles and publishes data on the incidence of deliberate self harm an annual basis.  Emergency Departments have the expertise in deliberate self-harm, crisis intervention nurses and/or liaison psychiatry services to support anyone who attends after an episode of self-harm.

For the period from 1 ^st  January to 31 ^st  December, 2012, the Registry recorded 1,118 deliberate self harm presentations to hospital that were made by 960 children (296 boys and 664 girls) aged from 10 to 17 years.  In 5% of cases involving children aged 10 to 17 years, the child left the emergency department before a next care recommendation could be made.  Following their treatment in the emergency department, inpatient admission was the next stage of care recommended for 41%, irrespective of whether general or psychiatric admission was intended and whether admission was refused or not.  Of all deliberate self harm cases, 37% resulted in admission to a ward of the treating hospital and 53% of cases were discharged following treatment in the emergency department.

Government policy on deliberate self-harm and suicide prevention is guided by our national strategy Reach Out which makes a number of recommendations in relation to fast track referrals to community-based mental health services, effective response to deliberate self-harm, training, reducing stigma and promoting positive mental health, initiatives aimed at helping young men and research.  The HSE’s National Office for Suicide Prevention (NOSP) has primary responsibility for the implementation of Reach Out.  
 
Action Area 12 in Reach Out  aims to  “Develop and resource an effective response in the health services or people who present to services having engaged in deliberate self harm and design ways to reach out to those who self-harm but are reluctant to access traditional services and supports”.   In this regard, the NOSP fund a range of services including Pieta House; two on-line providers – SpunOut and Inspire Ireland, to provide direct information to parents, teachers and young people on self harm; a self-harm liaison nurse post in Temple Street Hospital; training for community gatekeepers and frontline services responding to self-harm from young people.  In 2012 the NOSP also published an information leaflet for parents on dealing with and responding to self- harm.  In addition, this Government has provided funding for an 232 additional posts for the development of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) teams since 2012, with approximately 190 in post by the end of June 2014.
 

Having regard to the resources available, and the many competing demands on the mental health services, I am satisfied that there is an adequate wide range of support services in place for children and teenagers identified as having a tendency to self-harm.