The British Medical Journal has released a study looking at the number of reported self-harming cases amongst young people in the United Kingdom. Besides the shocking facts uncovered, researchers were also left to figure out why self-harming amongst young people has increased in recent years. A conclusion many drew was that the internet and social media could play a large factor in this, something which has been shown in numerous studies over the years.
Most significantly, the study found that reports of self-harm in young girls (ages 13 to 16) have risen by 68% between 2011 and 2014. It was also concluded that significantly more young girls self-harm in comparison to boys. Specifically, 37.4 per 10,000 girls self-harmed one or more times between 2001 and 2014, whereas for boys the rate was 12.3 per 10,000.
Dr. Nav Kapur, one of the authors of the study, states: “There is some evidence indicating that common mental health disorders are becoming more common within this age group. The internet and social media can be really helpful in preventing self-harm but could have negative effects too and this is a focus of significant research and activity.”
You can view the full British Medical Journal study here.
