Why the research is needed
A study published by Mind in 2007, Another Assault, showed that people with mental health problems are more likely to be victims of crime than the general population and face significant barriers to reporting crime and accessing justice.
The mental health and justice research project will build on these findings, exploring these issues in more depth with a larger sample of people. It is hoped that by doing so we can better understand the experiences and needs of people with mental health problems who are victims of crime. This will help us inform the development of services and support that better meets their needs.
Key stakeholders, including criminal justice agencies like the police and Crown Prosecution Service, will be an important audience for this research and we will be actively engaging with them to share our findings and positively influence policy and practice.
The views of people with mental health problems who have been victims of crime are at the heart of the research. They will be consulted at every stage of the project through their participation on the project advisory group.