Self-poisoning and self-injury in adults.

There are currently no national registers in England, Scotland and Wales and the national monitoring system in Ireland is in the early stages of development. Epidemiological studies have historically relied on monitoring systems in accident and emergency (A&E) departments or in psychiatric services, but gathering accurate data from either source is difficult. These methods fail to account for people who present only to their general practitioner (GP)1 or who do not present to health services at all. Rates of self-harm rose dramatically from the late 1960s to the early 1970s, then decreased in the early 1980s only to rise again by the end of the decade. In most cities the annual rate is about 400/100,0002. This rise has been particularly noticeable in men aged 15–24 years and women aged 25–34 years, with recent UK studies showing a female to male ratio of 1.6:1. UK statistics indicate one of the highest rates of self-harm in Europe3.