15% jump in Irish men who self-harm

The number of Irish men self-harming has jumped by 15% in the last 10 years with the rates particularly high among young people.

The figures come ahead of an upcoming conference on March 1 by St Patrick’s Mental Health Services and Pieta House. They are urging parents, teachers and caregivers across the country to get educated on the subject of self-harm.

Approximately 10% of adolescents worldwide is affected by self-harm which is defined as “self-injury or self-poisoning irrespective of the apparent purpose of the act”.