Another assault

Too little is known about the personal safety of people with mental health problems. Mind has set out to explore the extent of fear, crime and victimisation to which people with mental distress are exposed, and to uncover the barriers people with mental distress face in accessing criminal justice agencies.

Our findings highlight a stark reality. That like other 'vulnerable groups' - older people, people with learning disabilities, people with acute
mental health problems in hospitals - people living with mental health problems in the community experience shockingly high rates of crime and victimisation. Seventy-one per cent of respondents had been the victim of crime or harassment in the past two years.

Read the report (PDF)

Published November 2007