Deliberate Self-Poisoning and Self-Injury in Children and Adolescents Under 16 Years of age in Oxford, 1976-1993

Analysis of data collected by the Oxford Monitoring System for Attempted Suicide, between 1976 and 1993, for all cases of deliberate self-harm (DSH). Eighty-five percent were girls, the sex ratio being 5.7 girls to each boy. Most cases involved self-poisoning (54.7%) compared to 19.5% in 1976-1981. There was some indication that repetition was most common in youngsters discharged from the Accident and Emergency Department without a psychiatric assessment.