Addressing violence and abuse to achieve government priorities : new evidence from research funded by the Department of Health

Abstract

A quarter of the population have experience of violence and abuse in their lives. Such experiences are major and under-acknowledged factors shaping people’s mental health and service needs. Public services are required to respond to both the needs of people with mental health problems, and those who have experienced abuse and violence. Our research highlights the strong links between the two – and the necessity for services to address these links if they are to respond effectively to clients’ needs