Britain is facing a spiralling epidemic of self-harm, new figures indicate.

More than 170,000 people per year - most of them teenagers and young adults - seek hospital treatment after deliberately hurting themselves in apparent expressions of despair, research has found.

Stakeholder Response: Depression Alliance

Jim Thomson, chief executive of the Depression Alliance, said: "For those who work in the mental health sector, these figures on self-harm are not shocking. Unfortunately we have been pointing to this 'hidden' epidemic for a long time but our warnings have gone largely unheeded and the projects devised to help relieve some of the mental anguish, unfunded.

"We applaud the focus the new NICE guideline has given to this appalling epidemic and hope that now, we can see some improvement in the way people who self-harm are treated. We need to recognise people who self-harm at the points at which they seek help, providing information about treatment and support. Access to out of hours and self-help assistance is also key to eventual recovery.

"Depression Alliance would urge ministers to find out what state their constituency mental health services are in and attend the next meeting of the all party parliamentary group on depression where we will be examining the effect of upcoming policy on service provision."

Stakeholder Response: SANE

Marjorie Wallace, chief executive of SANE, said: "The numbers of people calling our helpline because of self-harm have increased dramatically in the last few years - 19,000 callers between September and May (two thirds of all callers) reveal distressing stories of hostility, rejection and blame when they attend accident and emergency departments.

"They report being made to wait, being treated with indifference and being sent home with no counselling or follow-up care, although the risk of committing suicide is known to be 100 times greater in the first few months following serious self-harm.

"So appalling has the situation become that the government had to commission guidelines to train health workers to treat those who self-harm with fundamental humanity."