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Care for people who have been exposed to sexual violence, sexual abuse or rape will be increased from the beginning of January. Then a new clinic, the Trauma Center for Sexual Health, will open at Skåne University Hospital in Malmö.
Research has shown that there are around 5,800 cases of sexual abuse in Skåne every year. It is also known that three out of four affected people developed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) one month after the event. One year after the event, 42 percent still suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.
– A sexual assault is one of the traumatic events with the greatest risk of post-traumatic stress disorder, which in turn increases the risk of suicide, addiction and physical and mental illness. It’s also expensive for society because it appears that sufferers generally require more care, says Erik Wallmark, a psychologist at the Trauma Center for Sexual Health.
Early stage interventions
That’s why Erik Wallmark is convinced that it is important for those affected to have the opportunity to get to know specialized healthcare staff in a safe environment at an early stage. The new trauma department will strengthen the care of sexually exposed people after the most acute phase.
– Medical and psychological care is integrated here and the reception should also function as a knowledge center. We want to be able to offer a coherent course of care with evidence-based psychological care. “We already know that the treatments we offer achieve good results for the target group,” says Erik Wallmark.
After the most acute phase
In the acute phase, the first two weeks after the incident, persons exposed to sexual violence, sexual abuse or rape must seek treatment in one of the hospital’s emergency departments (adult emergency department, pediatric emergency department or gynecological emergency department). . After the acute stage, the trauma center offers further medical and psychological care. The reception offers:
- Early psychological interventions and testing and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases for those seeking within the first two months of the incident.
- Assessment and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), regardless of how long ago the event occurred.
– Here we can carry out a structured clinical trauma assessment and if the patient meets the criteria for a PTSD diagnosis, we offer trauma treatment using evidence-based methods. We also have access to general practitioners. “Our goal is to ultimately be able to offer step-by-step care that is based on the patient’s level of difficulty,” says Erik Wallmark.
Stepped care means that people with mild symptoms receive low-intensity treatment, such as an internet-based CBT treatment program. In addition to internet-based CBT treatment, patients with greater needs are also offered individual sessions with a psychologist.
– For those most in need, team-based care is offered, tailored to the individual’s needs.
The number of patients is expected to increase gradually
The reception is aimed at people aged 18 and over. When approximately three months have passed since the abuse, a structured trauma assessment will be carried out to assess further care needs.
Erik Wallmark assumes that the number of patients requiring care will gradually increase.
– Based on numbers of similar admissions in Stockholm and Uppsala, we estimate that we will have around 300 patients seeking early-stage treatment annually.
Form a knowledge center
It is also planned to set up a quality register in which anonymous knowledge about health impairments following sexual abuse will be collected at group level, which can be used to evaluate and improve processes. This may involve identifying the type of abuse, what symptoms the victims are experiencing, what access to social support they have, what they have previously sought help for, and what care and treatment they are receiving.
“We want to know whether what we are doing is most effective for the patient,” says Erik Wallmark.
For more information contact:
Erik Wallmark, psychologist at the Trauma Center for Sexual Health, erik.wallmark@skane.se
Facts: Sexual Health Trauma Reception Center
- The Sexual Health Trauma Reception Center opens on January 8th and is aimed at:
– those living in the southern health region, initially mainly people in the catchment area of Scania University Hospital (Lund/Malmö).
– those who have developed a disease as a result of sexual abuse.
– Individuals who are 18 years of age or older (16 years of age or older for the PTSD course).
- To receive care in the trauma unit, the person can submit their own request for care via 1177 (e-service), leave a verbal request for care by telephone at reception, or have a referral sent by their care provider.
- Patients who have applied to the emergency department at Skåne University Hospital are routinely transferred to the trauma department at the Sexual Health Center after an emergency examination, unless the patient specifically refuses.
- Consultation hours are also offered every Monday from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. for patients aged 18 and over who have been exposed within the last two months.
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