The figures released by the Ministry of Health indicated that there has been constant decline in number of the people who spent more than 48 hours in hospital in 2007 due self-inflicted injuries.  

Intentional Self-Harm Hospitalizations 2007 (Provisional) report showed that 2678 people were hospitalized for more than two days due to self-harm in 2007 as compared to 3030 in 1996.

The report also revealed that risk of self-harm was highest in men in the 35-39 year age group and women aged between 15 and 19.

Mental Health director Dr. David Chaplow said that self-harm hospitalization rates have dropped by 25.6 per cent for the total population and 40.1 percent for those aged 15 to 24 years old since 1996.

The report showed that decrease in the number people admitted to hospital for more than two days has been continuous over the past 11 years. But data regarding people who spent less time in hospital for self-harm or readmissions in less than two days was not included in the report.

The report also revealed that self-harm rate was higher for Maori. Self-harm rate was 75.1 per 100,000 people for Maori as compared to 61.6 for non-Maori.