Background
Early identification, accurate diagnosis and effective treatment of mental health conditions can help to prevent self-harm and suicide in children and young people. Self-harm is when somebody intentionally damages or injures their body, and is a common way of responding to or expressing overwhelming emotional distress. Hospital admission rates are a useful measure of intentional self-harm, and an indicator of how well we are preventing this suffering from occurring.
Self-harm admissions in children and young people
Rates of hospital admission as a result of self-harm in children and young people (aged 10–24) are considerably higher for females than males. Between 2012/13 and 2021/22, the rate for females rose from 508 admissions per 100,000 population to 711 per 100,000 population – an increase of 40%. However, the inverse effect has been observed for males over the same period, whereby the rate has decreased by 22% from 193 per 100,000 population to 154 per 100,000 population. This data does not take A&E attendances into account, so the true prevalence of self-harm could be much higher. However, the gender difference in hospitalisation rates do reflect gender differences in self-harm practices as young women aged 16–24 years are more likely to report having self-harmed than young men.
Rates of hospital admission as a result of self-harm in children and young people are considerably higher for children and young people between the age of 15–19 than children aged 10–14 years and young people aged 20–24 years. Between 2011/12 and 2021/22, the rate for the 15–19 years age group increased from 469 per 100,000 population to 642 per 100,000 population, a 37% increase. Over the same period, a much sharper increase was observed for the 10–14 years age group, whose hospital admission rates have more than doubled from 124 per 100,000 population in 2011/12 to 307 per 100,000 population in 2021/22. This data corroborates the observed decline in mental health of children and young people in these age categories. In 2022, 25% of all 17–19 year-olds were estimated to be experiencing a mental health problem compared to 10% five years ago. For a younger cohort of individuals aged 11–16 years of age, the figure rose from 13% in 2017 to 20% in 2020 (data not shown).
A decrease in admission rates was recorded for the 20–24 years age group, which fell by 21% from 432 per 100,000 population in 2011/12 to 341 per 100,000 population in 2021/22.
About this data
The data for this indicator is produced by Public Health England's National Child and Maternal Health Intelligence Network (ChiMat).
Chart: What are the trends in hospital admissions as a result of self-harm in children and young people?
Definition:
Directly standardised rate of finished admission episodes for self-harm per 100,000 population aged 10–24 years.
Numerator:
Number of finished admission episodes in children aged between 10 and 24 years where the main recorded cause is intentional self-harm.
Denominator:
Mid-year population estimates: single year of age and sex for local authorities in England and Wales (ages 10–24 years).
Chart: How does the rate of hospital admissions as a result of self-harm in children and young people vary by age group?
Definition:
Crude rate finished admission episodes for self-harm per 100,000 population.
Numerator:
Number of finished admission episodes in children where the main recorded cause is intentional self-harm. Age groups 10–14 years, 15–19 years, 20–24 years.
Denominator:
Local authority figures: Mid-year population estimates: Single year of age and sex for local authorities in England and Wales; estimated resident population. For more information, please see Public Health England's Indicator Definitions and Supporting Information.