Data released as charity closes its waiting list again due to high demand.
A new study, revealed at a conference at The University of York on Tuesday 12 May has shown that survivors of sexual violence experience significant improvements in mental health and a reduced reliance on the NHS after accessing support from Survive, a leading specialist sexual violence charity.
It is estimated that the lifetime cost of sexual violence is more than £1.44 billion in York and up to £400 billion in England and Wales, due to the related issues such as drug and alcohol dependency, mental health problems and criminal justice costs. The lifetime cost of one survivor of sexual violence in York and North Yorkshire is estimated to be £267,371.27 compared to just £640 for Survive counselling for one client.
The study by the University of York showed that of the cases seen by Survive on a 2-year NHS pilot, 47% no longer required NHS mental health services for treatment purposes, and a further 35% reported that they had reduced their use of NHS mental health services following Survive. Furthermore, researchers reported that symptoms of psychological distress and trauma were significantly reduced across the board for survivors who accessed their counselling service across a two-year period regardless of the survivor’s age or sex. Some clients described the support as “life-changing”.
The findings underscore the critical role of community-based interventions in tackling what researchers describe as a significant public health issue.
Dr Nathalie Noret, from the University of York’s Department of Education, said: “It was clear from the data that we analysed, that in using a trauma informed approach, Survive produced outcomes that meant victims of sexual abuse could lead healthier and happier lives.
“By focusing on the mechanisms to understanding and coping with traumatic experiences from specialists who have seen many cases of this nature before, clients of the service report a marked increase in their ability to deal with daily life and were less likely to seek intervention from NHS Mental Health Services.”
Says CEO of Survive, Ms Mags Godderidge, “We have demonstrated that targeted, specialist support is a vital component of the public health landscape, and free services, delivered by sexual violence specialists such as Survive, can improve lives and avoid a mental health crisis in the longer-term.”
The report was launched at a conference on Tuesday, 12 May. Guest speakers included Fay Maxted OBE, CEO of The Survivor Trust, Jeremy Bacon from the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapists (BACP), and Prof Alexis Jay OBE, Chair of the Independent Inquiry of Child Sexual Abuse. Attendees included representatives from the Ministry of Justice and the Department for Education. The conference heard about the crisis in the sexual violence sector and the importance of continued support for charitable services like Survive, and the urgent need for a more trauma informed response to victims and survivors of sexual violence.
Survive remains the only specialist sexual violence agency in York and North Yorkshire that has achieved conformance with The Survivors Trust UKAS Accredited National Service Standards. The Survivor Trust accreditation of specialist support services like Survive, aligns with the newly introduced UKAS inspection of Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs) to create an externally verified and unified approach to quality assurance inspection across sexual violence services.
Survive offers free-of-charge support work, counselling, trauma therapy and EMDR psychotherapy to adult survivors of rape, sexual assault and child sexual abuse. The York and North Yorkshire-based charity highlight the need to work with survivors of abuse on processing their trauma, rather than putting their mental health issues at the centre of treatment.
Last month, Survive reopened its waiting list after it closed in May last year. They closed their waiting list on 11 May after receiving 14 weeks’ worth of new referrals in just 14 days.
