The Hunter health network recorded 6594 intentional self-harm hospitalisations in the last five years, national health data shows.
This was the highest number among NSW's 10 primary health networks.
The network also recorded the most self-harm hospitalisations in the state for females (745) and males (435) in 2022-23.
The Hunter network, which includes Central Coast and New England, also had the highest rate of these hospitalisations per 100,000 people in the state for females (111.3) and males (66.5).
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare said the data, released this week, only referred to "patients admitted to hospital for intentional self-harm".
A Hunter New England Health spokesperson said the Hunter network's self-harm data was "similar to other comparable" areas.
The spokesperson said NSW data showed the rate of emergency department presentations [as opposed to admissions] for self-harm in the Hunter network was "lower than many other rural and regional" areas in NSW.
"Rates of self-harm hospitalisation are affected by the number of people who present to hospital with self-harm, but they're also affected by different resources and models of care in different regions."
Avril Saunders is operations manager for Jupiter, a free mental health service for young people in Port Stephens, which is on the brink of closure due to a lack of funding.
"Lots of people come to Jupiter who are self harming," Ms Saunders said.
"We help them with healthy coping mechanisms to prevent it escalating to the point where they have to go to hospital.
"Self harming can quickly escalate if people don't get the support."
She said it was "really valuable to invest in preventative measures".
"Supporting critical care services is vital as well. But prevention, especially with youth, can stop the overload of critical services in future."
The Jupiter program, named Space to Talk, has helped more than 1300 young people in Port Stephens in five years.
Geoffrey Basser is vice president of COPSY (Caring for our Port Stephens Youth), which runs Jupiter.
It costs $400,000 a year to run and has four counsellors.
Mr Basser said the Jupiter program had previously attracted government funding.
"The federal and state governments are not coming to the party with new funding," he said.
A spokesperson for Emma McBride, the federal Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, said the Albanese government was "establishing a National Early Intervention Service and building Medicare Mental Health Centres".
It was also "expanding Headspace" and the mental health workforce.
Medicare Mental Health Centres were "open at Cessnock, Muswellbrook, Tuggerah, Warners Bay and West Gosford".
The Black Dog Institute said these centres received "around $113,000 per centre per year" in the 2024-25 budget.
Federally-funded Headspace centres are open at Newcastle, Maitland, Cessnock, Gosford, Lake Haven and Wyong, but not Port Stephens.
The AIHW data also showed that females aged up to 24 in the Hunter network had the second worst rate per 100,000 people in the state for self-harm hospitalisations for their gender.
Males aged 25 to 44 in the Hunter network had the worst rate in the state for their gender.
Ms Saunders, who is a counsellor, said this matched her experience.
"The majority that we see is young women self-harming," she said.
"It's something they seem to turn to as a coping mechanism for feelings of being overwhelmed."
She said self-harm was linked to many mental health challenges.
"If they're unable to deal with the pain inside, sometimes they'll inflict pain on their physical body to distract or release.
"Maybe their whole world is out of control and that's one thing they can control."
- Support is available for those who may be distressed. Phone Lifeline 13 11 14; Mensline 1300 789 978; Kids Helpline 1800 551 800; beyondblue 1300 224 636; 1800-RESPECT 1800 737 732.
