Rates of self-harm in Limerick City four times higher than some parts of the country

Men and women in Limerick city were the most at risk of deliberate self-harm last year, with rates more than twice the national average and up to four times the rate of some parts of the country.

Women and younger people were more likely to self-harm, and about a third of all incidents each week happen on Sunday and Monday nights.

The annual report from the National Registry of Deliberate Self-Harm shows there were 11,061 presentations at hospital where individuals had taken a deliberate overdose, attempted to hang themself or had cut themself. These involved 8,772 individuals last year.

The report is one of a number from various organisations published in advance of today’s World Mental Health Day.

The average rate of self-harm across the population last year was 199 per 100,000, a decrease of 6 per cent since 2012. This follows decreases of 4 per cent in 2011 and 2 per cent in 2012.

However, “the rate in 2013 was still 6 per cent higher than in 2007, the year before the economic recession”.

The national female rate last year was 217 per 100,000 and the male rate was 182 per 100,000. The gender gap has narrowed since 2007, with the male rate having increased by 12 per cent since then and the female rate by 1 per cent.

“At 619 per 100,000, the peak rate for women was among 15-19 year-olds . . . the peak rate for men was 510 per 100,000 among the 20 to 24 year-olds.”

Some 46 per cent were male presentations and 54 per cent were female. Just over half (53 per cent) of incidents were by people under 30 and 85 per cent by people under 50 years of age.

Regional concentrations

Perhaps most striking are the regional concentrations of deliberate self-harm.

“The male rate varied from 93 per 100,000 for Roscommon to 406 per 100,000 in Limerick city. The lowest female rate was recorded for counties Sligo and Offaly (130 per 100,000) with the highest rates recorded for Limerick city residents at 570 per 100,000.

Though self-harm rates have decreased, rates of repeated self-harm remained steady at 21 per cent, and higher than in 2010 or 2011. Repetition, “is a strong predictor of future suicide” and “continues to pose a major challenge to hospital staff and family members”.

Drug overdose

Intentional drug overdose was the most common form of self-harm (67 per cent) in 2013. Self-cutting was involved in 24 per cent of all episodes and attempted hanging was involved in 7 per cent.

Alcohol was involved in just over a third of all cases (37 per cent), and more likely in male cases (40 per cent) than female (34 per cent). Presentations peaked in the hours around midnight and almost one-third of all presentations occurred on Sundays and Mondays. There was also an increase in numbers around public holidays.

Also published yesterday was a report from the Economist Intelligence Unit on the provisions of support for people with mental illness across 30 European countries. It found Ireland had "very advanced policy" but "a record of poor implementation".