The Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) International is urging survivors of sexual abuse by psychiatrists, psychologists, or psychiatric hospital staff to report their experiences confidentially through an online reporting form. This call follows a disturbing rise in media reports and convictions involving patients sexually abused by mental health professionals.
CCHR, established in 1969, helped secure some of the first state laws in California and Colorado making sexual contact between therapists and patients a criminal offense. Today, 33 U.S. states and D.C. have such criminal statutes, while similar laws exist in Australia, Germany, Israel, and Sweden. However, a study found that only five states have addressed reporting sexual relationships between physicians and patients, with Texas being the only state mandating reporting without patient consent. Another 18 states permit reporting under broader laws, but standards vary widely.
A survey of psychiatrists revealed that more than one-third knew of a colleague who had been sexually involved with patients, yet only 8% reported the exploitation, even though 56% favored mandatory reporting. CCHR's public database shows that nearly a third of criminal convictions against mental health personnel involve sexual abuse.
A 2020 report noted that most states do not mandate physicians to report sexually exploitative colleagues, even when disclosed during treatment. A 2026 BMJ Open scoping review cited studies where approximately 3%–21% of patients reported abuse by healthcare professionals in psychiatric hospitals. Research dating back to the 1970s and 1980s found that about 7% of psychiatrists admitted to sexual misconduct, with over one-third involved with multiple patients. A 2001 national survey found that one in 20 abused clients was a minor, with an average age of 7 for girls and 12 for boys.
Repeat offenders are common: surveys show over 50% of male therapists who admitted such involvement reported multiple patients, and a Canadian study placed the repeat offender rate at 80%. CCHR criticizes the use of terms like "boundary violation" to downplay the seriousness of the offense. A 2023 study found that 5% to 45% of mental health inpatients experience sexual violence during admission, with underreporting due to stigma and fear.
CCHR has documented systemic abuse in for-profit psychiatric hospitals, including 21 incidents in one chain, leading to convictions and facility closures. Jan Eastgate, President of CCHR International, stated: "Mental health facilities can operate with little supervision, creating a breeding ground for abusive acts. If mental health professionals sexually assault their patients, they betray a position of trust. This is not a 'professional boundary violation'—it is sexual battery."
CCHR calls for uniform state laws making sexual contact between therapists and patients a felony, revocation of government contracts and licenses for facilities where abuse occurs, and mandatory criminal accountability for perpetrators.
