Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made trends in (a) depression, (b) suicidal ideation and (c) self-harm amongst (i) adolescent males and (ii) adolescent females since 2010.

The Department assess a wide range of research into trends around depression, self-harm and suicide to inform evidence-based policy development. NHS Digital has published the report, ‘Mental Health of Children and Young People in England, 2017’, which covers prevalence and trends in mental disorders in young people. The report is available at the following link:

www.digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/mental-health-of-children-and-young-people-in-england/2017/2017

The Department commissions the Office for National Statistics to monitor and publish data on suicide trends across all age groups. Published data shows that suicides amongst 15-19 year-olds have been increasing in recent years. The latest data is published at the following link:

www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/bulletins/suicidesintheunitedkingdom/2017registrations

The Department also funds the Multi-Centre Study of Self-Harm, which analyses long-term trends in people presenting at hospital for self-harm. We are aware of research showing increases in attendances at hospital and in primary care for self-harm, especially in young women and girls.