Finding
People want to help, but feel that they are poorly equipped to do so; therefore, increased training and education will increase understanding, so that people who self-harm won’t be afraid to speak, and health professionals won’t be afraid to listen.
Paper
Health risks from toxic pollution
Abstract
For the linked Comment see Lancet 2012; 379: 198–99 Self-harm is shrouded in stigma, secrecy, and embarrassment, and as such is an issue that many people feel uncomfortable discussing. According to new research from Cello’s Talking Taboos initiative, in partnership with the YoungMinds charity, increased communication between young people who self-harm, parents, and professionals is urgently needed. The study shows clear gaps in knowledge and awareness about why young people self-harm, and provides recommendations for how specifi c groups can help. One in 12 children and young people self-harm, and in the past 10 years, inpatient admissions for this population have increased by 68%. In this issue of The Lancet, Helen Bergen and colleagues show that physical health and life expectancy are severely compromised in people who self-harm. The Article, which presents fi ndings for 30 950 individuals, shows that patients have a greater risk of death from any cause than do the general population. Notably, of the 6% of patients who died, deaths from natural causes were two or more times higher than expected. This fi nding should alert health professionals to patients’ physical needs, and is a call for integrated services for physical and mental care. Cello’s recommendations include programmes for schools to build emotional resilience of children, targeted resources for parents, and training modules for health-care professionals. Paul Moran and colleagues noted that most people who self-harm will discontinue the practice with increasing age; however, support through this period is crucial. Furthermore, as discussed in a linked Comment, subgroups should be identifi ed to remove the ingrained idea that self-harm inevitably leads to suicide, which could further prevent parents and professionals from broaching the topic. People want to help, but feel that they are poorly equipped to do so; therefore, increased training and education will increase understanding, so that people who self-harm won’t be afraid to speak, and health professionals won’t be afraid to listen. ■ The Lancet Understanding self-harm Health risks from toxic pollution
Authors
T. Lancet
Journal
The Lancet