DELIBERATE SELF-HARM AND THE PROBATION SERVICE - AN OVERLOOKED PUBLIC-HEALTH PROBLEM

Reducing the suicide rate is one of chief targets of Health of the nat ion, although considerable scepticism has been expressed about whether or not this can be achieved.(1) We have reported that nearly a third of those supervised by the West Yorkshire Probation Service had a hist ory of deliberate self harm (DSH). Comparing the known risk factors fo r DSH and suicide with the composition of those supervised by the Prob ation Service suggests this is a high-risk group that has not traditio nally been well served by mental health services.