There has been a reported spike in young people attending emergency departments for self-harm and suicide during the pandemic. In New South Wales, presentations to emergency departments for self-harm and suicidal thoughts are reportedly up by 47% since before the pandemic. In the year to July 29 2021, there were 8,489 presentations to NSW emergency departments for self-harm in people aged up to 17. This was up from 6,489 presentations in the year to July 20 2020. A study published in December 2020 found children as young as in primary school are harming themselves intentionally. Services like crisis help lines and emergency departments are not meeting the increased demand for mental health support. If you are a parent or teacher, there are several things you can do when you learn your child or student has self-harmed. What Is Self-Harm? Self-harm, also known as self-injury or non-suicidal self-injury, describes people’s intentional …