22 October 2024

Three quarters of modern slavery survivors were ‘really struggling’ with their mental health when they were first identified through the government’s National Referral Mechanism, but this dropped to just 20% after receiving support from Hestia, according to new research conducted by independent research agency IFF.

In the latest in Hestia’s Underground Lives report series, 109 survivors of modern slavery were surveyed and 94% agreed their support worker relationship was helpful in supporting their mental health.

The research aims to add to the evidence around the mental health needs and experiences of survivors of modern slavery, as well as the impact of face-to-face and specialist support on their mental health.

Nearly three-quarters (73%) of survivors had spoken to their GP or another medical professional about their mental health. Of these, just under half (48%) were then offered and accessed NHS talking therapies, equating to over a third (35%) of all survivors surveyed.

One of the survivors of modern slavery interviewed for the report explained:

“She helped me train myself because I was suffering from panic attacks and [she helped] me a lot with exercises to help those.”

The majority (83%) of survivors who accessed one-to-one talking therapies found it helpful. However, ‘readiness’ for accessing specialist mental health support varies – a third of survivors told us they were not ready when they were first referred to Hestia.

Having a trusted support worker is key for access to specialist support – survivors commonly said that support workers helped them to feel safe enough to accept help (49%), enabled them to ‘sort other things out first’ such as secure accommodation (42%) and helped them to see that mental health support could be valuable (41%).

Patrick Ryan, Chief Executive of Hestia commented:

“This research reinforces Hestia’s own experience gathered over the past 13 years, that trusting, trauma and resilience informed relationships and expert support fundamentally help survivors recover and feel better day to day. As our new government considers the shape of future support for survivors of modern slavery, we must not overlook the effectiveness of this simple yet impactful model.”

Another survivor of modern slavery added:

“I needed counselling, one-on-one. I needed to speak about so many things, I had things from my childhood right up to coming here… I feel very positive now, I feel good and ready for the future.”

Half (51%) of the survivors surveyed disclosed their own personal barriers to accessing specialist support – including being worried about the stigma of accessing or needing talking therapies (24%), being unsure about what it would involve (20%), and not wanting to admit they needed it (16%).

One survivor shared:

“I think I needed it, but I didn’t ask because I was scared… [In Albania] if you go to the therapist … [they say] you’re crazy… the confidentiality there is not like here... he’s gonna share your story.”

In response to the findings, Hestia has shared four key recommendations for the government as it shapes future support for survivors in the UK:

1. Relationships with support workers are shown to have a positive impact on survivors’ mental health. Access to a support service where survivors are accompanied throughout their journey in the National Referral Mechanism by a support worker is a model to be preserved.
2. We must recognise that survivors have individual recovery journeys and readiness to engage in specialist support will vary. Access to specialist support should be continuously available to survivors.
3. At present, being moved out of your local area can lead to specialist mental health support ceasing or being delayed. We know this can be detrimental to survivors’ mental health. We call on the government to ensure that a change in location doesn’t impact a survivors’ ability to access or retain the support they need.
4. Survivors valued the opportunity to build connections with people with similar experiences, fostering a sense of community. This research identifies the need for an inclusive range of opportunities and activities, both virtually and in person, contributing to survivors’ support network on their journey to recovery

Read the full report