Mental Health Facility Sexual Abuse Lawyers in Pennsylvania

Individuals suffering from mental illness should never feel unsafe while undergoing treatment at a healthcare facility. When they do, mental health facility sexual abuse lawyers can help.

Unfortunately, some mental health patients suffer sexual abuse at the hands of other patients or by hospital staff. Because mental health patients are vulnerable and typically need help completing routine tasks, employees or other patients may take advantage of such individuals and abuse them physically or sexually.

Due to the stigma surrounding mental illness in America, many abused patients feel alone or abandoned. Some are frightened or unable to speak out.

If you believe someone you love is the victim of sexual abuse at a mental health facility in Pennsylvania, nationally acclaimed civil rights firm Andreozzi + Foote, is ready to advocate for their rights.

Sexual Abuse Of Patients By Other Patients

Sexual abuse of patients by patients is a severe problem that must be addressed in America’s mental health facilities. Across the country, many institutions still follow a mixed-sex ward setup — men and women are housed together.

While adopting single-sex wards exclusively will not eradicate sexual abuse among patients, it will undoubtedly reduce the number of instances.

The mental health charity MIND published a policy paper titled Stress on Women in 1992 that looked at the issues female mental patients faced regularly and published the recount of one patient:

If you or a loved one has suffered sexual abuse while under the supervision of a mental hospital, do not remain silent. You are a victim, and you have rights.

Psychiatric Sex Abuse Increase

One of the primary reasons sexual abuse in mental institutions is increasing is due to inadequate supervision. The number of patients in a mental health facility can vary at any given time.

However, many institutions are seeing a sudden increase in patients due to the pandemic and other circumstances. Yet the number of staff, orderlies, and nurses often remains the same.

It is a matter of simple math — insufficiently trained staff can watch the number of patients. Factor in the reality that many mental health institutions conduct their internal investigations, and it is easy to see why sexual abuse not only persists but is increasing.