Chapter 16 — Hospitals

Current circumstances

Fourteen (14) witnesses reported having a stable work record with regular employment in a variety of occupations including nursing, teaching, management, shop and factory work, and skilled trades. Five (5) witnesses reported being actively involved in the disability sector. Nine (9) other witnesses reported having erratic work histories as unskilled and casual workers. Others who had been in hospital for long periods of their childhood commented that the lack of formal education, training and preparation for independent living made it initially difficult for them to find employment or to progress beyond unskilled or casual work. I had no education, my work wouldn’t involve money, I wouldn’t be able to make up money or fill books, so all my work was on a building site... with the shovel and pick. • My first job, I felt so stupid... this woman said to me “what time is it?” and I said “I haven’t got my glasses with me”...so she said “how can you do your stitching then?”...she knew I couldn’t tell the time and she helped... (taught)... me.

Table 95 shows the witnesses’ occupational status7 as reported at the time of their hearing:

Occupational status	Males	Females	Total witnesses
Unskilled	6	3	9
Non-manual	2	3	5
Managerial and technical	2	2	4
Professional worker	0	2	2
Skilled manual	1	1	2
Semi-skilled	1	0	1
Other	4	3	7
Unavailable	1	0	1
Total	17	14	31

Seven (7) witnesses categorised as ‘Other’ in the above table reported that their disabilities and personal circumstances have precluded them from formal employment. There was no information available regarding one witness’s occupational status.

Most witnesses lived independently and had stable housing arrangements. Fifteen (15) witnesses owned their own homes and another six witnesses were living in local authority housing. Five (5) witnesses were living in supported accommodation facilities such as sheltered housing for people with disabilities and facilities run by government and non-government agencies. A further three witnesses described their living arrangements and other aspects of their personal lives as uncertain and that they relied on the support and assistance of community agencies. There was no detailed information available for two witnesses.

The health status of witnesses who reported abuse in hospital facilities reflected the fact that many were initially admitted to hospitals as a result of serious illness or significant disability. Information regarding health was provided by witnesses both directly and in the course of describing their current life circumstances. For the purpose of writing this Report the Committee categorised the witnesses’ physical and mental health status as good, reasonable or poor based on the information provided about past and current health history. Table 96 illustrates the physical health status of witnesses at the time of their hearing:

Physical health status	Males	Females	Total witnesses
Good	1	6	7
Reasonable	12	7	19
Poor	4	1	5
Total	17	14	31

Seven (7) witnesses described their current physical health as good and reported no particular concerns. They reported making good recoveries from tuberculosis or other illnesses for which they had been hospitalised as children.

Nineteen (19) witnesses described having reasonable physical health. They reported current physical health problems that were age related and/or the manageable consequences of their particular medical condition. I’m on an invalidity pension, it seems when you have my complaint it can affect a lot of things so I have to see a specialist a couple of times a year. • I had a discharge in me ear, all that banging around the head and pulling your hair gave me a mastoid, I’m sure it did...all the smacking around and the noise over not speaking up...

Six (6) of the 19 witnesses were wheelchair dependant or required mobility aids. Six (6) witnesses reported experiencing ongoing health difficulties that required surgery and other treatments. They reported that their mobility was restricted and that their lives were affected on a daily basis by the ongoing effects of their childhood illnesses and congenital conditions.

Five (5) witnesses reported having poor physical health that curtailed their daily functioning and independence. The witnesses reported their difficulties to be a consequence of their impairments, inadequate treatment, negligent care, physical abuse and associated injuries in childhood.

More witnesses reported good mental health than good physical health circumstances, as the following table indicates:

Mental health status	Males	Females	Total witnesses
Good	8	9	17
Reasonable	4	4	8
Poor	5	1	6
Total	17	14	31

Seventeen (17) witnesses reported having no particular mental health problems in their adult lives. A number of witnesses acknowledged experiencing both anger and sadness when reflecting on the treatment they were subjected to as hospitalised children, but do not consider that their mental health was adversely affected as a result.

Eight (8) witnesses reported experiencing a notable level of depression, for which four witnesses reported receiving treatment including medication and hospitalisation. They reported their difficulties to have lessened as they got older and also in response to treatment and counselling. I was cracking up except I didn’t know it...I remember I was working in...X company...I remember crying and not knowing why, and not being able to stop it and I knew that I was in trouble....The best decision ever was to accept responsibility for my life, that I was the only one who could do anything about it... • I had to go for a lot of therapy then...I was very angry, very aggressive. I was depressed, I didn’t know what was happening to me...I went for a long time, I found it very helpful.

Six (6) witnesses were categorised as experiencing poor mental health, which was signified by depression, hospitalisation, suicidal thoughts, and alcohol abuse. In some instances witnesses reported these experiences being also associated with violence. One witness reported life-long emotional and mental health difficulties that he believed were the result of the treatment and/or abuse he was subjected to in a psychiatric hospital as an adolescent.

Effects on adult life

Approximately half the witnesses who reported being abused as children in hospital facilities described life-long negative effects of the abuse they experienced, including being hospitalised and treated for depression and suicidal behaviour, abusing alcohol, and experiencing relationship difficulties, social isolation and continued feelings of anger. The nightmares were there but gradually they stopped... I lost me childhood, I lost me schooling, and I lost me confidence.

The following table lists the difficulties described by the 17 male and 14 female witnesses in their adult lives, in order of frequency. They are not mutually exclusive and were not prioritised by witnesses, who could report more than one effect.

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