Citation

McNicholas F, O'Sullivan M, Lennon R, Doherty M, Adamson N. Ir. J. Psychol. Med. 2010; 27(1): 11-14.

Affiliation

Department of Child Psychiatry,Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children,Crumlin,Dublin 12,Ireland.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, Irish Institute of Psychological Medicine)

DOI

10.1017/S0790966700000847

PMID

30282288

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To establish time of presentation to paediatric accident and emergency (A&E) services of children with deliberate self-harm (DSH).

METHOD: All children presenting to an acute paediatric hospital with DSH or suicidal ideation between 1993-2003 were identified and time of presentation collected from their case notes.

RESULTS: Of the 172 children where the actual time of presentation was recorded, the majority of children - 137 (80%) presented to the hospital outside of the 'normal working hours' of 9am-5pm, Monday - Friday. These children represent an at-risk group, and were more likely to have consumed alcohol, to have made a suicide attempt, and to have a family history of psychiatric illness than children presenting with "normal working hours".

CONCLUSION: DSH in young people is a significant public health problem in Ireland and is a major risk factor for completed suicide. Access to an out of hours on-call Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (CAP) services is essential if these children are to have a mental health assessment, as recommended by the Royal College of Psychiatry and National Institute of Clinical Excellence. These services need to be urgently developed.

Language: en