(UK) Scottish charity warns about youth suicide/self-harm increase

Aug 27, 2021, Glasgow Live: Children 'as young as 8' self-harming as suicide prevention charity warns of mental health crisis https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/news/glasgow-news/children-as-young-8-self-21412887

A suicide and self-harm prevention charity has issued a stark warning about the rise in mental health issues among young children. Trust Jack Foundation provides lifeline services for adults, children and young people from its hub in Stonehouse, Lanarkshire. Mum Helen Mitchell launched the charity in 2015 in memory of her son Jack, who took his own life at the age of 18 after his battle with adolescent depression. Demand for support from the small charity has rocketed since its launch in 2015 – it offers one-to-one talking therapy, group activities for women, men and children, as well as online meetings and check-in phone calls during lockdown. They have helped more than 500 young people in 2021 so far, with a waiting list in place. It comes as figures published by the National Records of Scotland revealed that there were 805 deaths by probably suicide registered in 2020, down from 833 in the previous 12 months. Data from 2020 also shows that people living in Scotland’s most deprived communities remain three times more likely to die by suicide compared to those living in the most affluent areas. Meanwhile, self-harming diagnoses and suicides among children admitted to hospital has increased year on year since 2015. There were 1,141 admitted in Scotland last year according to government figures; the highest rate since 2007. Helen told how a child of just eight years old who comes to the service regularly self harms and that there was another incident of serious self-harm at the hub. “A large percentage of the people coming here are reporting self-harming – it’s definitely on the increase. We push those people up the waiting list and make sure we are regularly phoning and emailing them while we can get a strategy in place and find out what’s going on in their lives." Project Manager Siobhan Hossack explains that children "as young as eight" come through their doors…. “In the age of technology and social media, we are seeing more and more young people feeling disconnected, sitting in their own room questioning themselves: Are they good or bright enough? We live in such a competitive society nowadays and these people are just trying to find their place in the world. “Covid has exacerbated those fears and worries and made them so much bigger than they already were.” Next month, The Trust Jack Foundation is launching new services aimed at young people: Nova Natter, a young person support group; Nova Connect; 10 Week educational, self-esteem and confidence building programme and Nova Club; a Friday night drop-in social hub for young people aged between 11 and 16…. “I do think mental health really has to be looked at from the top down," she said. "What’s happening is not working. If you ask any parent who has a young child with mental health issues, they’ll tell you it’s a frustrating process. “If we’ve got young people feeling suicidal and self-harming having to wait several months to get an appointment, that is very serious. How are they supposed to cope until they get the help they need? These services are in crisis and people need help. There’s only so much we can do ourselves….