Rate of self-harm among Windsor-Essex girls at its highest in 10 years: WECHU

The rate of self-harm emergency room visits and hospitalizations in Windsor-Essex for pre-teen and teenage girls last year was the highest it's been in a decade, according to new data released by the local health unit. 

Self-harm incidents, particularly ones involving the use of a sharp object or drugs, in Windsor-Essex have historically been elevated among girls between the ages of 10 and 19 years old. But they reached an all new high in 2021, based on statistics from the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU). 

Since 2020, the rate of females hospitalized for self-harm in the region also surpassed the provincial rate. 

Looking at the rise in cases, clinical psychotherapist Venus Olla said that even though she works with this demographic, seeing the statistics always "catches her breath." 

"Ten [years old] is pretty young when you think of engaging in self-harm behaviour," said Olla, who also works at the University of Windsor's Student Health, Counselling and Wellness centre. 

"In terms of the increase in 2021 ... I don't know if I'm necessarily shocked by it." 

With all the ways the pandemic impacted people, specifically their mental health, Olla said it was expected that self-harm might get more severe. 

In the last few years, Olla said she's noticed more cases of heightened depression and anxiety, such as social anxiety. 

"The main reason why we should be concerned, actually, with this self-harm is that research is showing now that ... it can increase the possibility of moving to suicidal tendencies," she said. 

According to Ramsey D'Souza, WECHU's manager of epidemiology and evaluations, the increasing number of hospitalizations means that the self-harm cases they are seeing are getting more severe. 

Deaths from self-harm declining

Despite ER visits and hospitalizations being highest among young women, deaths related to self-harm were higher for men between the ages of 20 and 44 years old. Typically, the health unit said, self-harm death rates are higher among men between the ages of 45 and 64 years old. 

Overall, the total number of people dying from self-harm in the community has declined in the last five years. 

In its data set, WECHU notes that the number of deaths are likely lower than what is accurate "due to the likelihood of misclassification of a self-harm related death to a different classification, such as an accidental death." 

'Always more that can be done' 

"One of the things that we are looking at is to understand behaviours and risk factors behind these visits," D'Souza said. They're looking to community partners to help provide context on these cases, he said, which will help them know if last year was just an anomaly. 

As for race-specific data, D'Souza said the health unit doesn't have that information, but it does have other identifiers that could point out what parts of the region the majority of the cases are coming from. 

This could help the health unit create more targeted approaches, he said. 

"I think the data is telling us that young people do need more supports. Young people need people who can model what mental wellness and mental health [is]," Olla said, adding that she is seeing more young people ask for help. 

"There's never really enough. There's always more that can be done, because we don't want to lose any lives." 

For parents who notice their child is struggling, Olla said they need to try to help them express what they're feeling and be comfortable enough to open up. 

She recommends reaching out to a family doctor or going to community organizations like the Canadian Mental Health Association Windsor-Essex branch or the Windsor-Essex Community Health Centre. 

If you or someone you know is struggling, here's where to get help:

• Talk Suicide Canada: 1-833-456-4566 (phone) | 45645 (text between 4 p.m. and midnight ET).

• Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868 (phone), live chat counselling on the website.

• Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention: Find a 24-hour crisis centre.

• This guide from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health outlines how to talk about suicide with someone you're worried about.