A latest research shows that one in ten 16-year-olds admitted to have thought of harming themselves by taking an overdose.
Researchers at the Queens University and University of Ulster analyzed 1,367 16-year-olds throughout Northern Ireland. The Young Life and Times (YLT) survey noted that around a third of the 16-year-olds confessed to having serious personal, mental or emotion health issues in the past year.
The research team concentrated on the participants' sense of community belonging, their experience on financial hardship and mental health including self harm.
The findings showed that one third of the participants took help from professionals. Around 13 percent contemplated on taking overdose or harming themselves and 13 percent had caused self harm. Around 8 percent of those, who caused self harm, did so on several occasions.
The reason they gave for their actions was that they 'wanted to punish themselves'.
"It is particularly significant to note that still only a minority of 16-year-olds seek professional help when experiencing serious emotional health problems. Although mental health campaigns have for some time attempted to de-stigmatise mental ill-health, by far the most likely reason why young people self-harm remains self-punishment. This suggests that young people with mental health problems keep blaming themselves for these, rather than appreciating external stressors such as pressures arising from school work or financial difficulties," said Dr Dirk Schubotz from the School of Sociology, Social Policy and Social Work at Queen's University and YLT Director, in a press release.
The finding was published on May 16 during the 'Mental Health Awareness Week'.
