Chapter 13 — Special needs schools and residential services

Current circumstances

Fourteen (14) witnesses described a range of mental health concerns including depression, alcoholism and anxiety, which have had a notable impact on their lives and which in five instances have necessitated in-patient psychiatric treatment in the past. Three (3) of the 14 witnesses reported that their alcohol abuse was a response to feelings of depression, loneliness and anger related to childhood abuse. One witness reported a past history of self-harm and two other witnesses reported that they had acted on suicidal thoughts in the past. The mental health status of these 14 witnesses was categorised as reasonable by the Committee and were markedly different to the circumstances of other witnesses whose mental health status was categorised as poor. A certain thing will remind me of it... (childhood abuse)... like food reminds me of it. I do attribute myself being overweight to... (childhood memories of food)..., now I eat what I want when I want it, and not horrible food and food that was never touched in there...(school)..., not potatoes. I was bulimic for a while first when I left... but I stopped that ... and self harm, I was cutting myself.

The 11 witnesses categorised as experiencing poor mental health circumstances reported ongoing feelings of depression with past or current thoughts or attempts of suicide. They reported being currently treated with medication for their depression and three witnesses had received in-patient psychiatric treatment in the recent past. Two (2) witnesses described suffering with agoraphobia and another witness reported repeated attempts at self- harm. Five (5) of the 11 witnesses described themselves as being actively suicidal in the past.

Mental health status	Males	Females	Total witnesses
Good	6	5	11
Reasonable	8	6	14
Poor	7	4	11
Unavailable	18	4	22
Total	39	19	58

In summary, the most consistently reported features of the health profile of witnesses who had attended special needs facilities was depression with associated alcohol abuse, suicidal thoughts and self-harm. Twenty two (22) witnesses reported being treated for depression either currently or in the past and 31 witnesses reported having received counselling.

Communication impairments restricted a number of witnesses’ ability to report in detail about their experiences. It was also remarked that sensory and other impairments made it difficult for witnesses and others to access information about the work of the Commission. It is important to note that the evidence presented to the Committee was received from witnesses who were less restricted than others in their capacity to communicate independently and/or had access to good support networks. Witnesses repeatedly made the point to the Committee that this was not the reality for many of their former co-residents. Nine (9) of the 58 witnesses in this group did not elaborate on their life experiences since being discharged from the special needs services they attended as children. A number had gone on to live in sheltered accommodation facilities provided by the same organisations who managed the special needs services they had previously attended.

The table below lists the negative effects described by the 49 witnesses, 32 male and 17 female, who reported abuse in special needs services and also gave an account of their adult life circumstances.

Male witnesses	Female witnesses
Effects on adult life*	Number of reports	Effects on adult life*	Number of reports
Counselling required	17	Counselling required	14
Abuse not easily forgotten	12	Abuse not easily forgotten	12
Lack of trust	12	Feeling isolated	9
Suicidal feelings or attempt	12	Lack of trust	9
Alcohol abuse	11	Anxious and fearful	8
Feeling isolated	11	Post-traumatic effect	8
Angry	10	Tearfulness	7
Loner	9	Loner	7
Sleep disturbance	9	Mood instability	7
Gender identity and sexual problems	8	Feeling different from peers	5
Lack of self-worth	8	Feelings related to being a victim	5
Anxious and fearful	7	Suicidal feelings or attempt	5
Nightmares	7	Alcohol abuse	4
Tearfulness	6	Angry	4
Feeling different from peers	6	Issues of needing approval	4
Mood instability	6	Sleep disturbance including nightmares	4
Feelings related to being a victim	5	Somatic symptoms	4
Withdrawal	5	Withdrawal	4
Aggressive behaviour – verbal	4	Aggressive behaviour – physical	3
Post-traumatic effect	4	Eating disorder	3
Unable to settle	4	Fear of failure	3
Issues of self-blame	3	Feelings related to being powerless	3
Feelings related to being powerless	2	Aggressive behaviour – verbal	2
Overly compliant behaviour	2	Issues of self-blame	2
Somatic symptoms	2	Overprotective of children	2
Unable to show feelings to children	2	Unable to show feelings to children	2
Unable to show feelings to partner	2	Aggressive behaviour – psychological	1
Aggressive behaviour – psychological	1	Over harsh with children	1
Find others with similar experiences	1	Sexual problems	1
Overprotective of children	1	Unable to settle	1
Substance abuse	1	Unable to show feelings to partner	1

Twenty one (21) of the 49 witnesses who provided information about their adult life circumstances described an ongoing sense of isolation and inability to trust others. Fourteen (14) of those witnesses reported life-long difficulties as a result of the sexual abuse they experienced, particularly in terms of their ability to trust people. Other witnesses reported that separation from their families in childhood has contributed to their sense of feeling isolated and different from others. For some witnesses the relationships with their brothers and sisters have never been properly restored, depriving them of practical and emotional support networks in their adult lives. No contact whatsoever ... (with siblings) ... I’ve tried, the only thing I can say is I’ve tried to get in contact with each and every one,... but they have their own...(difficulties).

In addition to feeling isolated, between 12 and 17 witnesses also described feeling angry, at times having suicidal thoughts and experiencing sleep disturbance. Fifteen (15) witnesses reported that they abused alcohol to the extent that it had a negative effect on their lives.