Severe mental health problems have been experienced by the victims of human trafficking in the United Kingdom, a new study suggests.
Researchers from the King's College London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine have found that 40 percent of men and nearly 80 percent of women, who have been trafficked to the UK for forced labor, sexual exploitation and domestic servitude, have experienced increased levels of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
"Although it is very difficult to estimate the true scale of human trafficking, we know that it is a huge, global problem," said Dr. Siân Oram from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King's College London.
Immediate safety and security of the survivors of human trafficking should be taken into consideration when planning for assistance, since most of them are emotionally affected and are still afraid of the traffickers, Oram added.
An estimate of 10,000 to 13,000 people were trafficked in the U.K. in 2013, according to the UK Home Office. About 21 million people across the globe are currently facing forced labor due to human trafficking.
The study, which was considered the first to tackle the impact of human trafficking on mental health in a developed country, surveyed 150 victims and found that women were most often trafficked to be sexual workers or become servants.
Over 80 percent of these women reported experiencing high levels of anxiety, depression and PTSD even 16 months after they escaped.
About 24 percent of women and 21 percent of the men who were trafficked are still dealing with physical injuries, while 23 percent of the women and 8 percent of the men reported diagnosed sexually transmitted infections.
"It damages the physical and psychological health of men and women exploited in many different labour sectors," study co-author Dr. Cathy Zimmerman from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said.
The study was published in the American Journal of Public Health (AJPH).
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