People presented to hospital due to self-harm on over 11,000 occasions last year, according to a new report on self harm, suicide prevention and mental health in Ireland.

The annual report of the National Registry of Deliberate Self Harm found a decrease of 6 per cent inc cases of self harm in Ireland from 2012 - the third consecutive annual drop.

However, the report highlights glaring failings in terms of treatment availability and follow on care. Almost 40 per cent of people who self-harmed were not assessed by a member of the mental health team at a hospital, and over 30 per cent were not given a referral on being discharged from hospital.

Alcohol was cited as a significant factor in cases, with it involved in over one third of incidents. Alcholo was more prevalent, marginally, in cases involving men than women.

Among the recommendations of the National Office for Suicide Prevention is to increase awareness of the risks involved in the use and misuse of alcohol, starting at pre-adolescent age.

There were trends identified in relation to the times when people are most likely to self harm. The number of incidents of self harm peaked around public holidays, while over one third of cases were on a Sunday or Monday.

The report also found that of patients who had a history of five or more previous acts of self harm, 82% would engage in acts of self-harm in the following three months.

The National Suicide Research Foundation published the twelfth annual report from the National Registry of Deliberate Self Harm, which is a monitoring system of hospital-treated self-harm, and collects data on persons presenting to hospital emergency departments as a result of self-harm in Ireland.

According to Professor Ivan Perry, Director of the National Registry of Deliberate Self-Harm:

“Self-harm is an important barometer of the mental well-being of a community. The rates of self-harm vary markedly and consistently in different parts of the country and are connected with deprivation and social exclusion. We need to continue to ask what we can do to tackle the root causes of these inequalities, most of which originate in early childhood”.

The report was launched to coincide with World Mental Health Day (October 10).

For more information or to speak with someone about depression or self-harm you can contact the numbers and websites below
www.yourmentalhealth.ie
www.letsomeoneknow.ie
Samaritans: 116 123
Childline: 1800 66 66 66