MHM Magazine

Issue 2 | 2023 | MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS | 15 MHM Self-harm, the act of deliberately inflicting pain and damage to one's body by means of cutting, burning, scratching, and self-poisoning through medication or substances in order to relieve emotional distress, is a growing concern amongst teenagers.  A 2021 UNICEF report found that more than 65% of South African young people have had some form of mental health issue but didn’t seek help. More than a quarter of respondents didn’t think their mental health problem was serious enough to seek support, while 20 percent didn’t know where to access help and 18 percent were afraid of what people would think.  Dr Terri Henderson, child psychiatrist and member of the South African Society of Psychiatrists (SASOP) says self-harm is a cry for help and should never be ignored, downplayed as attention-seeking behaviour or a means of ‘acting out’.  “Contributory and co-occurring challenges for a teen such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, ADHD and substance misuse often lead to self-harm as one of the methods teenagers engage in to cope with their undiagnosed and untreated mental health conditions.  “The age of onset is approximately 12 years although there is a stronger association to puberty rather than chronological age.  The number of teens presenting with self-harm infliction is increasing significantly due to heightened levels of anxiety, depression and stress experienced amongst teenagers, availability to medication, alcohol and drugs, and the social transmission SELF-HARM TEENAGERS HURTING THEMSELVES TO REGULATE EMOTIONS Interview with Dr Terri Henderson Psychiatrist Cape Town South African Society of Psychiatrists (SASOP)