Addressing the impact of non-recent child sexual abuse on the mental health of adults

This statement addresses how sexual abuse during childhood can impact on the wellbeing of adults, and the implications of this in the context of mental health disorders and their management.

(Content warning: This document summary discusses child sexual abuse. Please consider your wellbeing before continuing and ensure you have access to support if you need it.)

The impact of experiencing sexual abuse as a child or young person can be devastating, with potential lifelong consequences for an individual's physical and mental health and quality of life – particularly if appropriate help is not provided.

Psychiatrists and other mental health professionals are likely to encounter survivors of child sexual abuse in their practice, highlighting the crucial importance of care being trauma-informed, person-centered, compassionate and holistic, and delivered in a way that facilitates disclosure. There have been instances however, where care has fallen short of these standards.

The College has produced this statement – with extensive collaboration with lived experience experts – to address how services across the UK can deliver mental healthcare in a way that more effectively supports adults who have experienced sexual abuse during childhood. It makes relevant recommendations relating to clinical care, commissioning guidance, the education and training of psychiatrists, and research and policy.

While primarily aimed at psychiatrists and mental health professionals, it can also be relevant for professionals in the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector, and to allied health and social care professionals, as well as the police and the criminal justice system.