Self harm strategy and action plan 2023 to 2027: equality impact assessment

Background

Until now, our self-harm policy work has been embedded in suicide prevention work. However, while we recognise that self-harm is a risk factor for suicide, most people who self-harm are not suicidal. Our engagement has shown that responding to self-harm only as a suicide prevention activity can mean people may not get the most helpful response. In some cases, it may prevent them from seeking help. While we are now publishing a dedicated self-harm strategy and action plan, it is important to note that it retains important connections to our work on suicide prevention.

In recent years, there have been calls for more focused work on self-harm, not least because figures suggest that rates of self-harm may be increasing.

The Scottish Health Survey reported that in 2021, 10% of adult respondents who were asked if that they had ever self-harmed said they had, increasing from 2-3% in 2008/2009.

In 2020, the Samaritans published, 'Hidden too Long', a report on people's experience of self-harm and accessing support in Scotland. They called on Scottish Government to develop a dedicated self-harm strategy.

We recognise that there is still a lot we do not know about self-harm. It is often hidden and there are gaps in data that continue to limit our current understanding. However, the learning from people with lived experience, those supporting them, previous reports on self-harm in Scotland and the extensive engagement for this Strategy’s development, puts us in a strong position to make real improvements, and to continue to learn and adjust our approach as we go.