What happens when people disclose sexual or physical abuse to staff at a community mental health centre?
✍ Scribed by Kirsty Agar; John Read
- Book ID
- 104469271
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 2002
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 106 KB
- Volume
- 11
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 1324-3780
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
✦ Synopsis
ABSTRACT:
The files of 200 users of a community mental health centre revealed that 46% of the files contained documentation of sexual or physical abuse as children or adults. Only 36% of summary formulations and 33% of treatment plans for the abused clients mentioned the abuse. Only 22% of the abused clients received abuse‐focused therapy. Response rates were lower for clients who were male or had a schizophrenia spectrum diagnosis, and if the clinician was male or a psychiatrist. None of the alleged crimes, past, recent or ongoing, was reported to legal authorities. Development of unit policies and training programmes to ensure appropriate response to abuse histories is recommended.