Society has an uneasy relationship with trauma. It is easier to look away.  Austerity has placed our most vulnerable citizens and those who work with them, in precarious positions, which masks suffering. Currently, mental health budgets are inadequate to meet needs meaning survivors are less likely to access appropriate help.  Trauma is further compounded for those survivors of sexual abuse, who often suffer prejudice within mental health services and wider society. To ensure that those living with trauma receive justice, it is time that it is treated as both a public health and human rights issue. When we talk about groups like ‘the mentally ill’ or ‘homeless people’ or ‘young offenders’, we are often really talking about are ‘survivors of abuse’. Mental health problems are multi-factorial. But for many, their ‘mental illness’ can be traced back to awful things happening to them. There is evidence pointing to the links between childhood abuse and mental ill-health; Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are linked to negative impacts on health and wellbeing. But abuse victims and survivors often have to endure not only primary injury (caused by the abuse) but also secondary injury, as a result of societal reactions towards them. These secondary injuries can … Continue reading Is there Justice for Trauma Survivors?