The Silent Epidemic

Every month an estimated 200000 Australians deliberately hurt themselves They cut scratch burn and sometimes even break bones Its called selfharm and it peaks in teenagers and young people The Silent Epidemic explores this dark and often secret behaviour asking why more and more people are turning to selfharm as a way to cope with life Interweaving their personal stories with scientific enquiry The Silent Epidemic casts a unique lens onto what is fast becoming a problem that can no longer remain hidden In response to the growing numbers a group of Melbourne scientists are hunting for a radical solution to selfharm with a worldfirst experiment The Silent Epidemic charts their progress it is both a wakeup call and ultimately a story of hope Written by Mark Hamlyn