{
  "id": 3420687,
  "title": "NHS failing child sex abuse victims in adulthood, say psychiatrists",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/nhs-failing-child-sex-abuse-victims-in-adulthood-say-psychiatrists",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-08-26T04:07:48.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "BBC News",
    "slug": "bbc-news",
    "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0kl40d3011o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "People who were sexually abused as children and seek mental health help later in life are being let down by the NHS, according to senior psychiatrists. The Royal College of Psychiatrists has apologized for years of poor management and misdiagnosis of these cases in the UK. Many mental health professionals have been more focused on treating symptoms than understanding the impact of past traumas on their patients. While support for these individuals is improving, psychiatrists argue that better training and more resources are needed. One major issue is that these patients often don't receive enough time with mental health professionals, which can lead to re-traumatization through repeated assessments and history-taking. Dr. Lade Smith, a former president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, expressed regret that many victims have suffered unnecessary harm when seeking help. The report by the college highlights how treatment can sometimes be inappropriate and re-traumatizing, with many people not being believed when disclosing their abuse. Dr. Smith emphasized that the current system of providing short, discrete episodes of care doesn't allow psychiatrists to build relationships with patients, which is crucial for proper support. Only a small percentage of individuals who have been abused get help, while many don't even reach mental health services due to stretched resources. Caroline Thompson, a 65-year-old former ear, nose, and throat doctor, is one such individual who felt let down by the NHS. It wasn't until she started experiencing severe nightmares at 55 that she sought help, and even then, her psychiatrist misdiagnosed her symptoms and prescribed inappropriate medication. After private therapy with a specialist in childhood trauma, Thompson began to recover, but her story underscores the systemic failures in the NHS's response to child sex abuse survivors. The Royal College of Psychiatrists is calling for mandatory trauma-informed care training for all mental health staff, national guidance on recognizing and responding to historic child sex abuse disclosures, and an overhaul of services to provide long-term support for those in need.",
  "summary": "There have been decades of mistreatment and mismanagement of those who seek help later in life, say experts in a new, damning report.",
  "key_points": [
    "Senior psychiatrists criticize NHS for failing child sex abuse victims in adulthood.",
    "Royal College of Psychiatrists apologizes for poor management and misdiagnosis.",
    "Better training, resources, and trauma-informed care needed for survivors."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The NHS's inadequate response to adult survivors of childhood sex abuse, marked by poor management and misdiagnosis, underscores a need for better training, resources, and long-term support to prevent re-traumatization.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "BBC Health",
        "title": "NHS failing child sex abuse victims in adulthood, say psychiatrists",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/nhs-failing-child-sex-abuse-victims-in-adulthood-say-psychiatrists-3423587",
        "published": "2026-08-26T04:07:48.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}