Teenage Self Harm
Reverend the Hon. Dr Gordon Moyes: I ask the Hon. Tony Kelly, on behalf of the Minister Assisting the Minister for Health (Mental Health), the following questions without notice. Is the Minister aware of the problem of self-harm, which can include intentional cutting, burning, scolding, banging or scratching one’s own body, breaking bones, pulling hair out, or ingesting toxic substances, and which is a problem symptomatic of underlying mental and emotional distress? Is the Minister aware of the recent study “Injury Among Young Australians” conducted by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, which describes a 51 per cent increase in young women intentionally harming themselves—predominantly teenage girls aged 15 to 17 years—and also a 27 per cent increase among young males, who are turning to self-harm as a response to mental pain, and that young people living in very remote areas were hospitalised for intentional self-harm at twice the rate of young people living in cities? Will the Minister please indicate what specific measures are being taken?
The Hon. Tony Kelly: I thank the honourable member for his very well thought out and important question. I undertake to get a speedy response from the Minister concerned.
Deferred answer
On 25 June 2008 Reverend the Hon. Dr Gordon Moyes asked the Minister for Lands, representing the Minister Assisting the Minister for Health (Mental Health), a question without notice regarding teenage self-harm. The Minister Assisting the Minister for Health (Mental Health) provided the following response:
The NSW Government has recognised self-harm as a major public health issue and identified mental health promotion, prevention and early intervention as key priority areas outlined in the NSW Interagency Action Plan for Better Mental Health (2005) and the NSW Mental Health Plan 2005-2010.
The State Plan: A New Direction for NSW 2006-2016 priority F4 commits to embedding the principles of prevention and early intervention into Government service delivery in NSW.
Specific measures to improve the understanding and detection of mental heath problems in adolescents and enhance access to appropriate specialist support include the NSW School-Link Initiative and the Youth Mental Health Service Model.
The NSW School Link Initiative, an interagency collaborative partnership between NSW Health and Department of Education and Training, was developed in 1999 to improve the understandings, recognition, treatment, support and prevention of mental health problems in young people.
School-Link is a comprehensive initiative that aims to link schools and TAFE colleges with their local child and adolescent mental health services.
The NSW Government strongly supports targeting those at greatest risk, including socioeconomic disadvantage, as well as a range of priority groups.
Current Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) planning includes the following principles:
Priority access for children, adolescents and families at highest risk for current or future impairment and for those with greatest need. These groups include those who have been exposed to trauma, abuse, violence or neglect; children and you people in out-of-home care; those with developmental disabilities or chronic physical health problems; those in contact with the Department of Juvenile Justice; and families with children where a parent has mental health problems.
Funding of $26.8m has also been provided over 5 years for the development of a Youth Mental Health Services Model (YMHSM), aimed at providing youth mental health services for young people 14-24 years of age in youth-friendly settings, integrated with primary health, drug and alcohol, and other services.
The key focus of the model is on early intervention and prevention, with flexible approaches to service provision and access. Young people will be offered a range of services including comprehensive assessment, including risk assessment, as well as support to re-engage with education, training and employment.
