National Registry of Deliberate Self Harm annual report 2010.

This is the ninth annual report from the National Registry of Deliberate Self Harm. It is based on data collected on persons presenting to hospital emergency departments as a result of deliberate self harm in 2010 in the Republic of Ireland. The Registry had near complete coverage of the country’s hospitals for the period 2002- 2005, and since 2006, all general hospital and paediatric hospital emergency departments in the Republic of Ireland have contributed data to the Registry. In 2010, the Registry recorded 11,966 presentations to hospital due to deliberate self harm nationally, involving 9,630 individuals. Taking the population into account, the age-standardised rate of individuals presenting to hospital following deliberate self harm in 2010 was 217 per 100,000, a significant 4% increase on the rate of 209 per 100,000 in 2009 and the fourth successive increase in the national rate of hospital-treated deliberate self harm. The proportion of presentations to hospital due to repeated deliberate self harm was lower in 2010 (19.5%) than in 2003-2009 (20.5-23.1%), but repetition continues to pose a major challenge to hospital staff and family members involved. At least five deliberate self harm presentations were made by 101 individuals in 2010, accounting for just 1% of all deliberate self harm patients in the year but 7% of all deliberate self harm presentations recorded. Self-cutting was associated with an increased level of repetition. One in six of those who used cutting as their main method of self harm in their index act made at least one subsequent deliberate self harm presentation in the calendar year compared to one in eight of those who took a drug overdose. Drug overdose was the commonest method of self harm, involved in 71% of all acts registered in 2010, and more so in women (77%) than in men (65%). Minor tranquillisers, paracetamol-containing medicines and anti-depressants/ mood stabilisers were involved in 42%, 29% and 21% of drug overdose acts. The number of deliberate self harm presentations to hospital involving drug overdose in 2010 (8,538) was very similar to that in 2009 (8,504) and 2008 (8,456). This was also true when examined by type of drug. The exception was street drugs. The number of deliberate self harm presentations to hospital involving street drugs increased by 40% between 2008 and 2010 (from 461 to 645)