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The 'unprecedented toxic climate' that children are growing up in is causing an increasing number of teenage girls to self-harm, experts have warned. Hospital admissions for self-harm among teenage girls have jumped by 10 per cent in just one year, new figures reveal.
In the 12 months to June, there were 13,400 cases of self-harm among girls aged 15 to 19 that required hospital treatment - up from 12,220 in the previous year.
The England-wide data, from the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC), also shows 4,000 cases of self-harm among 15 to 19-year-old boys.
The figures also showed boys were far more likely to need treatment for assault than girls - with 3,500 cases among 15 to 19-year-olds during the same period - down 24 per cent from the 4,580 cases the previous year.
Lucie Russell, Director of Campaigns and Policy at the charity YoungMinds said: 'Every day we hear about the unprecedented toxic climate children and young people face in a 24/7 online culture where they can never switch off.
'Cyber bullying and "sexting", bleak employment prospects and a society obsessed with body image are creating a negative environment around children and young people.
'These findings must not be dismissed as simply an inevitable part of growing up.
'Last year our Parents’ Helpline received a record number of calls from parents concerned about the mental health or well-being of their child.
'We must take notice of these warning signs and act if we are not to see children increasingly struggling to cope.'
Overall, there were 2.5 million hospital admissions for babies and children up to the age of 19 - a 0.1 per cent increase on the previous year.
The report revealed that infections were the most common diagnosis, with 31,900 cases among boys and 19,200 among girls.
In the 12 months to June, there were 13,400 cases of self-harm among girls aged 15 to 19 that required hospital treatment, up from 12,220 in the previous year
Boys accounted for nearly twice as many cases of asthma - 6,800 - as girls - 3,500.
Among five to nine-year-olds, tooth decay accounted for 13,300 cases among boys and 12,000 among girls.
HSCIC chairman, Kingsley Manning, said: ‘Today's report is one of the first to examine hospital activity for children in this country to such a significant degree of detail.
‘It highlights the differing reasons why children are coming through hospital doors in this country and in particular the marked variation between boys and girls in the conditions they are being treated for.
Overall, there were 2.5 million hospital admissions for babies and children up to the age of 19 - a 0.1 per cent increase on the previous year
‘The number of self-harm cases among girls and assault cases among boys makes for particularly compelling reading.’
The news comes after health experts said more needs to be done to improve care and support for children who suffer from depression as this could reduce the number of children being admitted to hospital after self-harming.
Depression in children is more common than people think and there must be clear steps in place so health workers can deliver the best possible care to young people affected, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) said.
If a medic suspects that a youngster is depressed they must endeavour to make a diagnosis and record it in the child's medical records, according to Nice's new quality standards.
And experts also need to ensure that there is ‘age appropriate’ material so that children can understand their diagnosis and treatment, Nice said.
Severe depression affects nearly 80,000 children and young people in the UK including more than 8,000 under 10s, figures suggest.
Professor Gillian Leng, deputy chief executive at Nice, said: ‘Depression in children and young people is more common than people might think and can be particularly distressing, both for the child or young person affected and their family.
‘It is important there are clear steps in place to aid healthcare professionals involved in treating children and young people with depression, so that they can deliver the very best levels of care across the NHS.
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