Early mental health care vital for Britain's youth

The UK has one of the highest rates of self-harm in Europe, according to the Mental Health Foundation.

While cutting is the most common form of self-injury, others can include burning, scalding, stabbing, hair-pulling, biting and breaking bones.

The foundation states that people with current mental health issues are 20 times more likely than others to report having harmed themselves as a coping mechanism in the past.

Sarah Brennan, chief executive of national charity YoungMinds, said: "Investment in early intervention is key to tackling young people's mental health difficulties.

"Tackling problems as they arise and identifying vulnerable infants, children and families can prevent difficulties becoming more serious and long-term."

A recent survey found that almost one in 14 young people under the age of 16 carried out an act of deliberate self-harm in the previous year. However, Only 50 per cent of those went to hospital for treatment or sought medical attention.

Inpatients under psychiatric care are often transferred between NHS hospitals, departments and consultants. Therefore a single patient admission may lead to multiple episodes of care rather than one hospital discharge.

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