The mental health needs of victims of violence
are going unrecognised and there is a lack of joined-up services to
support their needs, according to the Royal College of
Psychiatrists.
People who are injured in or affected by
physical violence, including sexual violence, are at risk of
developing mental health problems such as post-traumatic stress
disorder, anxiety, depression and substance misuse problems. But
services to help these people are relatively underdeveloped.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists has today
published new guidance to improve mental health outcomes for people
affected by violence. The guidance, Managing the impact of
violence on mental health, including among witnesses and those
affected by homicide, has been developed in partnership
with the Royal College of General Practitioners, the College of
Emergency Medicine and the national charity Victim Support.
Professor Jonathan Shepherd, Professor of Oral
and Maxillofacial Surgery and co-author of the new statement, said:
“Having treated people injured by violence for many years, I’m
convinced that the mental health problems that are inflicted are
often more serious and long-lasting than their physical injuries.
About 300,000 victims of violence are treated in emergency
departments in England and Wales each year and about 40% of these
will go on to have mental health problems. But although the mental
health impacts of violence are common, they are also often
neglected. We hope this guidance will help make sure that people
who are victims of violence get the help they need.”
The new guidance includes a new stepped care
pathway to show how emergency departments, GPs and the criminal
justice system can work better together to identify those people
who show signs of mental ill health and provide them with
information about relevant support services.
The guidance recommends:
- Health professionals who
treat those affected by violence and the health services in which
they work should be recognised as major advocates for victim health
and wellbeing.
- Doctors working in emergency
settings should refer patients with signs of mental health problems
as a result of violence to third sector support services or to the
patient's GP, depending on the severity.
- Victim support and other
competent statutory and third-sector personnel should refer victims
and others affected by violence who demonstrate signs of mental ill
health to primary care health professionals for further
assessment.
Javed Khan, Chief Executive of Victim Support said: “Our trained
volunteers have been helping victims deal with the emotional and
psychological effects of all kinds of crime for nearly 40 years. We
are therefore keenly aware of the psychological impact that being a
victim of violent crime can have. Victim Support has systems to
identify and refer victims to mental health services, where it is
needed. However, greater collaboration between all the
agencies and individuals involved to ensure that more victims with
trauma-related and mental health conditions are identified and
appropriately referred would benefit all involved – not least
victims. We look forward to working with the Royal College of
Psychiatrists and other parties to ensure more victims get the help
they need.”
For further information, please
contact:
Liz Leicester
or Deborah Hart in the Communications
Department.
Telephone: 020 7235 2351 Extensions. 6298 or 6127