Self-harm remains neglected globally, with at least 14 million episodes per year

A report by the Lancet Commission on Self-Harm highlights that at least 14 million episodes of self-harm occur each year - particularly among young people and in low- and middle-income countries. The paper argues that their impact has been neglected by governments globally and sets out a series of recommendations to reduce their incidence. 

18/10/2024 - 15:52 CEST
Expert reactions

Daniel Vega - autolesiones Lancet EN

Daniel Vega

PhD in Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry and Legal Medicine at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and coordinator of the GRETA group (Research Group on Evaluation and Treatment of Self-harm)

Science Media Centre Spain

The study is well written, addresses an important public health issue and is authored by researchers with expertise in the field. It makes recommendations in several areas, aimed at improving the prevention and management of self-harm globally.

It fits with the scientific evidence. It could guide public policies to invest in self-harm research and prevention strategies. In Spain, the problem of self-harm affects between 10-30% of young people aged 14-24. There is a need to raise awareness of the issue and to inform about the relationship and differences with suicide.

The author has declared they have no conflicts of interest
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