Frequent Deliberate Self-Harm: Repetition, Suicide and Cost After Three or More Years

This is a follow-up study of 44 patients admitted to an Edinburgh hospital after frequent deliberate self-harm (3 or more episodes within one week) at least once between 1982-87. 42 patients were traced after a minimum of 3 years. 38 patients were known to have repeated self-harm an average of 13 times during the follow-up. There was only death by probable suicide. The average cost of inpatient accomodation & psychiatric assessment of this group during follow-up was 34,036 English pounds.