BBC Radio Scotland FM

Medical Matters

Factual: Health & Wellbeing

A series of programmes looking at health issues

Medical Matters: Hidden Pain

Hidden Pain

14/09/2016

BBC Radio Scotland - Medical Matters, Hidden Pain

Edi Stark explores the issues surrounding self-harm in young people.

Programme looking at health issues. Edi Stark explores the issues surrounding self-harm in young people.

Edi Stark explores the issues and myths surrounding self-harm in young people. 

The number of children admitted to hospital for self-harm has doubled in parts of Scotland over a five-year period, according to a number of charities. 

Self-injury can be many things that people do to themselves in a deliberate and often hidden way like; cutting, burning, overdosing, scratching, biting, hair pulling and breaking bones. It is generally a response to profound and overwhelming emotional pain that hasn't been resolved and a way of coping and managing these feelings.

Edi Stark meets former self-harmers to explore some of the myths surrounding the behaviour and talks to parents who have struggled to understand. She also meets experts who can offer advice on how to how to detect the signs and offer support. 

Last year, 563 under-18s were admitted for self-harm in Scotland. We know this is only the tip of the iceberg as many people never seek medical attention. Self-harm is a taboo subject and sometimes people think they are the only ones doing it. But research shows that it is very common. In the UK at least one in every 15 young people has experience of self-injury. That is two young people in every classroom. While research indicates that a much higher percentage of females self-harm than males, experts have cautioned against viewing this as a "female" problem as young males often engage in different forms of self-harm.

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