Over 1,500 diagnosed with self-harm incidents across the North
The Scottish Government is being urged to “increase investment in mental health services” after new statistics show over 1500 patients were admitted via an Emergency Department across NHS Highland with a self-harm diagnosis in the last five years.
The intervention comes after an investigation from the Highland Liberal Democrats, using freedom of information. Of the 3,362 patients that attended the Emergency Department presenting a self-harm related issue across NHS Highland in the last five years, 1,547 were admitted with a diagnosis.
The Scottish Government funds Self-Harm Network Scotland as part of its self-harm strategy and action plan, a web chat service designed to help people dealing with self-harm. However, according to the most recent Scottish Health Survey, 25% of 16-24-year-olds and 10% of adults said they had self-harmed.
SAMH, Scotland’s national mental health charity, explains “there are no fixed rules about why people self-harm.” The charity says that from some it can “be a way of dealing with something that is happening now or that happened in the past.”
David Green, the Scottish Liberal Democrat candidate for Caithness, Sutherland & Ross, said:
“Such a high number of patients with a self-harm diagnosis is deeply worrying. We need greater action to help those struggling with their mental health; the alternative is unthinkable.
“Clearly not enough is being done. In schools alone, we know waits for mental health support are long and arduous despite the number of pupils identified with mental health problems sharply increasing.
"I am pleased Scottish Liberal Democrat MSPs persuaded the Scottish Government to invest in GPs so they can recruit more specialists in mental health. But we need to do more.
“We need great focus on ramping up training, creating new dedicated specialist mental health beds for children and young people north of Dundee, and a clear ambition to succeed by appointing a dedicated Mental Health Minister.”
ENDS.