| Harry Nicholson tours local schools, speaking to young people about the work the Samaritans do and telling them the charity’s volunteers are there 24 hours a day, if they need someone to talk to.
“The message that teachers in the schools are telling us is that self harm among adolescents is getting more prevalent,” he said.
Scottish Executive figures show that 146 people in Tayside between 15 and 19 were discharged from hospital with a diagnosis of deliberate self harm last year, up from 144 cases the previous year.
In Fife, 138 teenagers were discharged with the same diagnosis last year.
But the hospital discharge figures do not tell the full extent of the self-harm problem.
The results of a study of 1000 girls by the Priory clinic found that almost one in four 15 to 17-year-old girls has wanted to self harm and nearly one in five has done so.
Mr Nicholson said, “There are many reasons for self harm among teenagers — peer pressure, youngsters turning their emotional pain into physical pain and feeling they are letting their parents down if they are not coming up to their academic expectations.
“There is not one reason for self harm, which means there is not one solution. That is why schools have welcomed people from the Samaritans talking to their pupils.
“We go round schools talking to children about the work we do and telling them we are here to listen to them.
“We tell them, if they feel isolated, they should talk to someone about their problems.
“This isn’t a sign of weakness — asking for help takes great courage.”
The Executive figures show a great reduction in the number of self harm discharges over the last two years.
In 2002, there were 17,162 cases of self harm in Scotland from people of all ages, compared to 14,668 last year.
The Executive put the national drop down to their multi-million ‘See Me’ advertising campaign, and their Choose Life national strategy and action plan to tackle suicide.
An Executive spokesperson said, “We take the issue of self-harming very seriously.
“We have set up Choose Life, with the aim of taking local action to prevent suicide and part of this work includes tackling self harm.
“Our ‘See Me’ advertising campaign also helps to reduce the stigma of self harm and aims to raise awareness of the problem. ”
Mr Nicholson said that anyone feeling vulnerable over the Christmas period should contact the Samaritans on 08457 909090. |
