People who were sexually abused as children and later sought help for mental health problems have been failed by the NHS, according to senior psychiatrists. The Royal College of Psychiatrists has issued a public apology for decades of what it describes as mismanagement and misdiagnosis. The apology has been included in a report by the college. It says some survivors were left feeling disbelieved, repeatedly asked to retell traumatic experiences, or given treatment that did not address the underlying trauma. The college says mental health services have often focused too heavily on treating symptoms such as anxiety and depression, rather than understanding how childhood trauma can continue to affect someone many years later.
Dr Lade Smith, the college’s immediate past president, said she was sorry that survivors had experienced “avoidable harm” when seeking help. She also highlighted a wider problem within mental health services: fragmented care and a lack of time for patients and clinicians to build trusting relationships.
For survivors, talking about abuse can take years. In some cases, people may only begin to understand the impact of what happened to them decades later.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists has now called for better trauma-informed training for mental health professionals, national guidance on responding to historic child sexual abuse, and longer-term support for survivors.
Charities have welcomed the apology but say it must lead to meaningful change.
Gabrielle Shaw, chief executive of the National Association for People Abused in Childhood, said this was a “significant and welcome” apology, but it must lead to “meaningful change”. “For too many adult survivors, mental health services have not felt like a route to safety or recovery.”
The college is calling for a number of changes. It is promising to develop specialist training materials for psychiatrists, but wants mandatory training for all mental health staff on the importance of trauma-informed care for survivors of child sexual abuse. And it has recommended national guidance be published on how to recognise and respond to disclosures of historic child sexual abuse, as well as an overhaul of services so those needing help can get the long-term support they need.
Source; BBC News website 26th August 2026