People with severe mental illness are up to 10 times more likely to be victims of certain types of crime but many are reluctant to disclose their experiences to mental health professionals, research has found.
The three-year study by charities Mind and Victim Support also found that people with poor engagement with services were seven times more likely to be victims of crime than those who had good engagement. But 40% of people who had been victims of crime did not disclose their experience to a mental health professional, some out of fear that disclosure would lead to them being detained under the Mental Health Act.
“There were a number of factors that prevented participants from seeking help. Several said they were particularly reluctant to tell mental health professionals for fear the experience would be interpreted as a sign of their deteriorating mental health problem and trigger additional medical intervention,” the report found.
Interviewees said that when they did seek help from police and other agencies, they often felt they had been treated unfairly and, in some cases, had their claims dismissed.
Mental health professionals interviewed for the research highlighted a number of challenges in supporting victims of crime. These included victims not providing full information about their case and people having unrealistic expectations of services.
“Most professionals also said that a lack of effective multiagency working was problematic and that the reluctance of services to get involved or take ownership of cases could leave victims unsupported and more distressed,” the report found.
The study analysed data from a random sample of 361 people with severe mental illness who were in touch with community mental health teams in London. Interviews were also conducted with patients who had been victims of crime and a range of professionals.
Other key findings from the study include:
- People with serious mental illness were seven times more likely to experience three or more different types of crime in a year than the general population.
- Rates of assault against women with serious mental illness were 10 times that found among the general population.
- The impact of domestic and sexual violence was particularly stark. Some 40% of women and quarter of men who experienced these crimes had attempted suicide as a result.
- Almost one in ten respondents (9%) described crimes on psychiatric wards, with interviewees saying they felt “unsafe” in some inpatient settings.
- Crime victims with serious mental illness were more likely to feel let down or treated without respect by the police.
Paul Farmer, chief executive of Mind, said:
People with mental health problems have an equal right to justice, yet this report reveals that this is not the reality for far too many of us. It is unacceptable that the police, healthcare staff and others who are supposed to support victims of crime may be dismissive.
We are calling on the police, commissioners, healthcare staff, support agencies, local and national government to work together and improve services for people with mental health problems who are the victims of crime.”
The report lists 10 recommendations including one that all staff in health, social care and police services receive training on the needs of people with mental health problems as victims of crime.
