| Screening/assessment for mental health or substance misuse needs |
Equipment and medications to assess then treat mental health or substance misuse should be available in sexual assault services |
1 |
Staff (Brooker 2018) [111] |
| Some staff in sexual assault services want more training in assessing mental health and substance misuse problems to ensure appropriate referral on (especially with children (one study) and to identify PTSD (one study)) |
2 |
Staff (Brooker 2018) [111] Mixed stakeholders (Musgrave 2014) [86] |
| Staff want training to support people with intellectual disabilities in sexual assault services (including identifying ID, assessing capacity, best interest decision making and effective communication) |
1 |
Staff (Olsen 2017) [90] |
| Staff should assess service users’ alcohol use at the point of presentation and at the time of the assault–to assess capacity to consent to sexual assault service procedures and assist forensic evidence-gathering |
2 |
Mixed stakeholders (Cole 2008 [117], Musgrave 2014 [86]) |
| Standardised mental health assessment tools and outcome measures should be used within Children’s sexual assault services |
1 |
Staff (Belew 2012) [37] |
| Provision of mental health or substance use support within sexual assault services |
Immediate crisis counselling rated as the most important aspect of sexual assault service support to service users |
1 |
Staff (Du Mont 2004) [54] |
| Counselling should be provided within the sexual assault service |
4 |
Staff (Belew 2012) [37] Mixed stakeholders (Lovett 2004 [20], Musgrave 2014 [86], Ruch 1980 [94]) |
| A follow-up phone call from a counsellor 48–72 hours following visit to a sexual assault service was welcomed |
1 |
Service users (Ericksen 2002) |
| Trauma focused art therapy should be offered to children attending sexual assault services, especially those with difficulties vocally expressing their thoughts and feelings |
1 |
Staff (Belew 2012) [37] |
| Long-term, individually tailored therapy should be offered to children attending sexual assault services |
1 |
Staff (Belew 2012) [37] |
| Counselling offered in sexual assault services should not have an upper limit to the number of sessions |
1 |
Mixed stakeholders (Lovett 2004) [20] |
| Clients should be offered choice regarding the gender of their sexual assault service counsellor |
1 |
Mixed stakeholders (Lovett 2004) [20] |
| A 24/7 crisis line should be provided within a children’s sexual assault service (e.g. for service users who are feeling suicidal) |
1 |
Staff (Belew 2012) [37] |
|
Mentoring or peer support buddy schemes should be provided within sexual assault services to help clients’ with wellbeing and practical support |
1 |
Mixed stakeholders (Musgrave 2014) [86] |
|
Support workers should be service users’ first point of contact with sexual assault services in to improve the take-up of follow-up support services |
1 |
Staff (Schönbucher 2009) [97] |
|
Counselling support should be provided for as long as needed, given existing capacity |
1 |
Staff and service users (Schönbucher 2009) [97] |
| Sexual assault services should provide counselling/psychosocial support for children and young people until local services are available |
1 |
Mixed stakeholders (Goddard 2015) [62] |
| Sexual assault services should provide medical care and follow-up support for children under 13 years |
1 |
Mixed stakeholders (Goddard 2015) [62] |
| Referral on from sexual assault services to mental health or substance misuse services |
Sexual assault services should refer clients on to mental health services where indicated |
2 |
Staff (Cowley 2014 [118]) Mixed stakeholders (COSAI 2012) [124] |
| Service users would like to leave the sexual assault service with an appointment arranged for mental health follow-up (not just a referral made) |
1 |
Service users (Ericksen 2002) [121] |
| sexual assault services should make follow-up contact with clients to facilitate and encourage take-up of follow-on counselling |
3 |
Staff (Maier 2012) [122] Mixed stakeholders (Lovett 2004) [20] Service users (Schönbucher 2009) [97] |
| Flexibility is needed for follow-on mental health care to improve its accessibility to service users (e.g. re appointment times and location, funding travel to appointments) |
2 |
Family caregivers (Fong 2016 [60], Lippert 2008 [78]) |
| Integration is needed between sexual assault services and local counselling services, including mental health and drug and alcohol teams–including shared staffing and training (one study) and a dedicated single point of referral from sexual assault service to mental health teams and/or link workers (one study) |
2 |
Staff (Campbell 1998) [113] Mixed stakeholders (Musgrave 2014) [86] |
| Sexual assault services should have direct access to refer into MH services to avoid long delays for clients |
1 |
Staff (Brooker 2015) [25] |
| Partnership working with MH services is needed to improve their accessibility to service users |
1 |
Staff (Brooker 2015) [25] |
| Sexual assault services should provide service users with written, accessible information on follow-up services to encourage take-up |
1 |
Service users (Schönbucher 2009) [97] |
