Deliberate Self-harm and Associated Re-presentation Rates at the Emergency Department of Whangarei Hospital, New Zealand

A study was conducted using the Emergency Department database at Whangarei Hospital to identify patients presenting with deliberate self-harm between August 1, 2003 & July 31, 2004. During the 12-month time period 127 people accounted for a total of 159 presentations of deliberate self-harm. The highest age-specific rates of deliberate self-harm was for females aged 20-24 years & males aged 30-34 years. This study also found a slightly lower incidence of deliberate self-harm admissions than that found at North Shore Hospital in a similar study.