News

Young people want self-harm to be discussed in schools to help dispel the fears and misunderstandings that surround the behaviour, according to a report published today,writes Sally Gillen.

The second interim report by the Mental Health Foundation and the Camelot Foundation on the national inquiry into self-harm also found that training for education professionals is at best patchy.

But the young people consulted for the report do not want teachers to take on a counsellor role.

Government strategies promoting better health and emotional well-being for young people do not include self-harm.

Project manager of the national inquiry Dr Marcia Brophy said: “It appears that young people want to play a very involved role in providing information and advice about self-harm.”

But she added: “But with education professionals under such pressure, external help is needed to support the one in 10 teenagers in the UK who are hurting themselves in order to cope with their emotional problems."