What’s News: Self-harm a growing problem amongst teens

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Self-harm, the act of deliberately inflicting pain and damage to one's body by means of cutting, burning, scratching, and self-poisoning through medication or substances in order to relieve emotional distress, is a growing concern amongst teenagers.

A 2021 UNICEF report found that more than 65% of South African young people have had some form of mental health issue but did not seek help. More than a quarter of respondents did not think their mental health problem was serious enough to seek support, while 20 percent did not know where to access help and 18 percent were afraid of what people would think.

For more on this and how we can go about dealing with it as a society, the team was joined by Dr Terri Henderson - Member of the South African Society of Psychiatrists