@article{ref1,
title="Are mental health services getting better at responding to abuse, assault and neglect?",
journal="Acta psychiatrica Scandinavica",
year="2016",
author="Read, John and Sampson, M. and Critchley, C.",
volume="134",
number="4",
pages="287-294",
abstract="OBJECTIVE: To determine whether staff responses to abuse disclosures had improved since the introduction of a trauma policy and training programme. <br><br>METHOD: The files of 250 clients attending four New Zealand mental health centres were audited. <br><br>RESULTS: There was a significant improvement, compared to an audit prior to the introduction of the policy and training, in the proportion of abuse cases included in formulations, and, to a lesser extent, in treatment plans. There was no significant improvement in the proportion referred for relevant treatment, which remained at less than 25% across abuse categories. The proportion of neglect disclosures responded to was significantly lower than for abuse cases. Fifty percent of the files in which abuse/neglect was recorded noted whether the client had been asked about previous disclosure, and 22% noted whether the client thought there was any connection between the abuse/neglect and their current problems. Less than 1% of cases were reported to legal authorities. People diagnosed with a psychotic disorder were significantly less likely to be responded to appropriately. <br><br>CONCLUSION: Future training may need to focus on responding well to neglect and people diagnosed with psychosis, on making treatment referrals, and on initiating discussions about reporting to authorities.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0001-690X",
doi="10.1111/acps.12552",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/acps.12552"
}