Psychological support for people affected by scandals caused by serious and sustained failings of statutory services and government: lessons from the infected blood scandal and Infected Blood Inquiry

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BACKGROUND: Several independent reviews in the UK have recently investigated sustained, systemic failings by statutory services and government departments. These reviews document severe psychological impacts on people affected by these scandals, which have been exacerbated by miscarriages of justice, denials of accountability and lack of formal support. There is evidence that impacted people have significant, unmet mental health needs. AIMS: To explore the psychological support needs of people infected and affected by the infected blood scandal in England, their experiences of seeking support and how insights from this research could inform responses to people affected by similar failings, including the Hillsborough Disaster, Windrush Scandal and Post Office Horizon IT Scandal. METHOD: We used a qualitative design involving semi-structured interviews with infected and affected people in England and with mental health practitioners to explore experiences, psychological impacts and perspectives on existing support services. Our analysis was thematic, adopting an empathetic interpretive orientation toward participants' experiences. RESULTS: We identified significant unmet mental health needs among infected and affected people, including those who had been in contact with NHS or private psychological support services. Historically, infected and affected people have rarely accessed effective mental health support. CONCLUSIONS: Insights from the Infected Blood Inquiry and the subsequent development of a bespoke psychological support service could inform the setting up of skilled, tailored psychological support for people affected by other severe, systemic state failings. This response could address complex, unmet mental health needs and increase understanding of the psychological impacts of scandals resulting from systemic, statutory failings.

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