Focus on historical sexual abuse ignores today's harsh mental health cuts | Clare Allan

Focus on historical sexual abuse ignores today's harsh mental health cuts | Clare Allan

Survivors of abuse need good mental health services now, otherwise they are simply being failed all over again

There is a sense of national outrage at the seemingly endless stream of revelations concerning thesexual abuse of children by people in the public eye. While such outrage is understandable, I can't help being struck by the simultaneous lack of concern about the cuts to the services and support many survivors of sexual abuse depend on.

Mental health problems are a very common consequence of sexual abuse. An overview of research in this area, conducted by Anne Lazenbatt for the NSPCC suggests that as many as 80% of young adults who have been sexually or physically abused, or both, are found to meet the diagnostic criteria for at least one psychiatric disorder by the time they are 21. By the time they reach their late 20s, they are twice as likely to have attempted suicide as someone who has never been abused. Guardian

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