ABSTRACT
Self-harm and attempted suicide have been steadily increasing since the 1960s and are presently a serious public health concern (Centers for Disease Control 1992; Schmidtke et al. 1996; Hawton et al. 1996; Kerfoot 2000; Fox and Hawton 2004). This is not only in Western societies; research in developing countries has also shown that self-harm is reaching epidemic proportions and is a public health priority across the globe (Eddleston et al. 1998). Suicide is a leading cause of death among young people (Windfhur 2008), and we have previously seen that young people who self-harm represent the highest risk group for subsequent suicide (Hawton 1992). High rates of selfharm and suicidal behaviour are often a result of war, poverty, poor human rights, social deprivation and lack of opportunities for young people. Whilst some countries have implemented national suicide prevention strategies based on guidance from the UN and WHO, many have not and suicide prevention is not defined as an explicit health priority (Windfhur 2009).
