About self harm

According to the Mental Health Foundation 142,000 patients present themselves at hospital due to self harm in one year, however there may be a greater number of people who harm without seeking medical attention. The rate of self harm amongst adults over 25 is relatively low.  It is most common amongst people between the ages of 11 and 25.

People who self harm might:

• Have a difficult family life that includes abuse, neglect or rejection. 
• Be suffering from a psychological condition such as an eating disorder, depression, bipolar, or a borderline personality disorder.
• Be people who take illegal drugs or drink an excessive amount of alcohol. 

The reasons that people who self harm give for their behaviour can be broadly grouped into three categories:

Controlling Mood

Mood regulation is how a person is able to cope with emotions and feelings, especially feelings which are particularly unsettling, unpleasant or intense. Often people who self harm feel unable to deal with strong and powerful emotions such as these and feel overwhelmed or incapable of controlling themselves.

Communication

Some people use self harm as a way of expressing themselves. Self harm gets the attention of people but often in an unhelpful way. Understanding what an act of self harm is trying to communicate can be crucial to dealing with it in an effective and constructive way.

Control/punishment

People who self harm have often experienced traumatic experiences in their lives including emotional, physical or sexual abuse. Self harm can be a form of trauma re-enactment (bringing about the feelings the person felt when they were first traumatised).

The information in this section is taken from the factsheet, which you can download in pdf format and print for individual use:

Self harm factsheet