Hospitalisations for self-harm between 2012-2022 in the French health system: alert on young women

Two recent publications point to an increase in somatic hospitalisations with self-inflicted injuries among adolescents and young women from the end of 2020

compared with 2019, an important indicator that includes suicide attempts. This study presents and discusses trends in patients admitted to hospital with a

diagnosis of self-harm, by age and sex.

 

Using national health databases from 2012 to 2022, time series of unique patients with a diagnosis code of self-inflicted injury (ICD-10 code: X60-X84) were

collected and presented by sex and age group. Changes in the characteristics were studied in young women and adolescent girls on the basis of available

information.

 

Two-thirds of patients hospitalised for self-inflicted injuries are women. The number of annual patients fell by 10% between 2012 and 2022 (-8% for men,

-15% for women). Over the same period, they increased by 47% in psychiatry (+24% in men and +62% in women). These average trends differ according to

age group and gender: increases in the number of female patients aged between 10 and 24 have been observed since 2015, with an acceleration in 2022

(+40% in somatic care and +107% in psychiatry compared with the 2012-2019 average). Conversely, the number of patients aged between 35 and 55 will fall

sharply over the period. Between 2012 and 2021, suicide rates have been stable among men of age groups comprised between 0 and 74 years old between

and decreasing among older men. Concerning women, these rates have been slightly increasing amon less than 25 years old age group and stable or decreasing among older. 



Complementary analyses for patients aged between 10 and 24 show a peak in frequency centred on 15 years. The increase in their

hospital admissions concerned the two main diagnostic codes: intoxication and use of a sharp object, excluding the possibility it is only related to

scarification. All regions are concerned, with no significant variation in intensive care visits (10% of hospital admissions).

 

The time series of hospital admissions for self-harm injuries reveals contrasting and lasting trends by age group, which need to be monitored and

investigated further.