Psychiatrists: NHS fails adult survivors of
The Royal College of Psychiatrists has apologised for decades of NHS mismanagement and misdiagnosis of adults who were sexually abused as children, saying
Senior psychiatrists say the NHS is failing adults who were sexually abused as children when they seek help for mental health problems. The Royal College of Psychiatrists has issued a public apology for what it calls decades of mismanagement and misdiagnosis within UK mental health services.
Immediate past president Dr Lade Smith told the BBC she was "sorry" that victims have too often suffered "avoidable harm when seeking help". A report from the college details how treatment has sometimes been inappropriate, with people re-traumatised by repeated assessments and not always being believed."I had therapy for about a year and was then discharged," she said. "At that point I still didn't understand what was happening to me and I still couldn't function."She had to give up her job. Private therapy with a childhood trauma specialist helped her gradually get better."meaningful change". She said for too many adult survivors, mental health services have not felt like a route to safety or recovery.
An NHS England spokesman said specialist services were available, highlighting 24/7 support through sexual assault referral centres and counselling. He said it was vital survivors know they can access specialist, trauma-informed support. He added steps were being taken to better support children and young people, with extra training for mental health teams in schools and colleges.
