Repeated self-harm in young people: a review

Abstract

Objectives: This paper provides a review of the rates of self-harm and repeated self-harm among young people. It describes some of the risk factors associated with these behaviours and summarises some of the barriers to delivering optimal treatment.

Conclusions: The review concludes that there is an urgent need for the delivery of respectful and evidence-based practice to all young people who present with self-harm. In addition, improved monitoring of self-harm presentations to hospitals across Australia is required in order that robust data are collected and the impact of practice change can be reliably assessed.

Keywords: Australia; self-harm; young people.