Awareness Appeal Over Self-Harm

Scottish mental health charities have called for greater awareness of self-harm among the country’s many different cultures. Research has suggested youngsters from ethnic minority groups are up to three times more likely to hurt themselves as a way of releasing emotion.

The Scottish mental health campaign See Me works to reduce the stigma. It has joined forces with other charities and organisations to highlight the issue.

Self-harm affects people of all ages and cultures, but research has highlighted its particular prevalence in ethnic minority groups. Young women of South Asian origin are three times more likely to deliberately injure themselves, according to research.

Experts said self-harm is rarely done to seek attention and is usually a sign of emotional distress. They said it can be as a result of racism, sexism, immigration and inequality.

Yasmin, 27, a medical professional from north east Scotland, told BBC Scotland about her experiences. Yasmin said she was “bullied mercilessly” and as time went on her self-harming became more and more severe.

She said: “On a daily basis I was called names, told I was ugly and alienated and as a result had no self esteem. Although I don’t think the other kids knew what effect their actions had it really destroyed my confidence. I couldn’t take it anymore, I hated myself and believed what they were saying about me.”