Long-Term Rise in Self-Harm in Young Women is About More Than Social Media

Charities warn of the risk the impacts of the pandemic pose to young women’s mental health as new research lays bare the connection between poverty and self-harm in young women.

• Young women (16–34) living in the most deprived households are five times more likely to self-harm, compared with those in the least.
• One in five women with severe money problems has self-harmed in past year.
• Those seriously behind on payments or who have had utilities disconnected three times more likely to have self-harmed.
• The charity is warning that the socio-economic impact of the Covid-19 health emergency could see an increase in levels of self-harm and poor mental health among young women unless economic inequalities are addressed. 

Young women in England who face poverty and disadvantage are more likely to self-harm than young women in affluent households, new evidence published today by Agenda, the alliance for women and girls at risk and the National Centre of Social Research (NatCen), reveals.

The findings come at a time when the coronavirus outbreak is likely to cause more economic hardship and push people further into poverty, with women hit the hardest.

The charity is calling for an understanding of the impact poverty and disadvantage has on young women’s emotional wellbeing and mental health and for that consideration to be a core part of the response to the coronavirus outbreak.

This research, undertaken by analysts at NatCen, is one of the first to focus on connections between poverty and non-suicidal self-harm in young women across England. Based on new analysis of data from more than 20,000 people it shows that young women (aged 16 to 34) living in the most deprived households are five times more likely to self-harm, compared with those in the least.

Young women struggling with money problems and debt are at particular risk. One in five young women with ‘severe’ money problems has self-harmed in the past year, and those seriously behind with payments or who have had utilities disconnected were three times more likely to have self-harmed in the past year than other women.

Where young women live may also play a role. Self-harm was four times more common among those who said they did not feel safe in their neighbourhood in the day.

Kate*, 29, experiences anxiety, depression and complex PTSD, she says:

While most people who self-harm will not attempt suicide, those who die by suicide are more likely to have previously self-harmed. And although young men remain more likely to take their own lives than young women, suicide rates for girls and young women (aged 10 to 24) have increased and in 2018 were the highest on record.

Agenda is calling on all mental health strategies and policies to consider the impact of poverty and inequality on girls and young women’s mental health, especially at a time when the coronavirus outbreak is likely to make those inequalities worse.

Jemima Olchawski, Chief Executive of Agenda, the alliance for women and girls at risk, said:

Sally McManus, Researcher from the National Centre for Social Research, said:

Dr Mary-Ann Stephenson, Director of the Women’s Budget Group said today:

The findings come the year the Marmot report Health Equity in England Ten Years On revealed that women living in the poorest areas are facing the greatest health inequalities and their life expectancy has declined by ten per cent in the last decade. Furthermore, recent research warns that existing inequalities mean that women are set to be disproportionately impacted by the economic and health impacts of Covid-19.

Agenda is calling for:

• A cross-government strategy to improve the outcomes of women and girls facing poverty and disadvantage in order to tackle the major risk factors linked with self-harm. This should come with a central government funding pot to support relevant and joined-up responses to tackling these disadvantage, and support the provision of gender and trauma-informed services that respond to the wide range of challenges women and girls may face. This is especially important when considering the economic and health response to COVID-19.
• National and local suicide prevention strategies and action plans must acknowledge and respond to self-harm among young women and girls, with poverty and considered as a central factor.
• Policy initiatives to tackle women and girls’ risk of poverty and disadvantage must be developed and delivered. This is especially true in light of the coronavirus outbreak. Research shows that women are more likely to be living in poverty, struggling with debts and bills and working insecure jobs. This should include removing the 5 week wait and covering the cost of average rents under Universal Credit, increasing sick pay and carer’s allowance, tacking action to address the gender pay gap, and ensuring job losses and redundancies do not hit young women and women in insecure low-paid work hardest.
• Professionals working with those living in poverty must be aware of the increased rate of self-harm among girls and young women on low incomes
• Population-wide survey data collected in both England and Wales to understand the factors that drive inequalities in health, including in gender, age and ethnicity.
• Policy makers must be aware of the wider impact and harms caused by the social and economic impacts of the coronavirus outbreak. We need to plan for increased need among young women and girls.