ACC limits on abuse counselling attacked

By ANGELA GREGORY


Sexually abused women are taking longer to recover from their ordeal because of the high cost of counselling and restricted access to therapy subsidised by Accident Compensation Corporation, research has found.

Auckland University research fellow Dr Kim McGregor's survey of nearly 200 sexually abused women found that many could not find adequate counselling services.

Some also reported they felt pressured to finish ACC-funded therapy before they were ready.

Dr McGregor, of the school of population health, surveyed 191 women in 2001 about their experiences of one-to-one therapy. They had experienced abuse ranging from fondling to intercourse.

Most of the women (86 per cent) found therapy helpful but many found it difficult to get the help they needed. Obstacles included cost, restricted therapy hours funded by ACC and inadequately trained health professionals.

Only 29 per cent said ACC funded enough hours of therapy.

Dr McGregor said many were grateful for ACC subsidising part of the cost of therapy, which they could not have otherwise afforded, but were disappointed by the limited number of sessions.

Half those surveyed had had 50 hours or fewer of ACC-funded therapy and only 30 per cent had 100 sessions or more. "Women were saying it wasn't enough and they wanted more."

More than half said cost had stopped them from having therapy they wanted.

They had paid an average $1939 each for therapy, with one woman paying $17,500.

Dr McGregor saidit took years to recover from abuse, which it took an average of 16 years to expose.

One third of the women took from 21 to 56 years to speak out and fewer than 4 per cent had told anyone immediately.

"They felt shamed," Dr McGregor said. "Those feelings of being dirty and disgusting take a long time to undo."

The women were now aged from their 20s to their 70s. On average, the abuse began when they were 6 years old and ended when they were 13.

ACC spokesman Fraser Folster said the corporation had made changes to its Sensitive Claims Unit processes in 2002 to better reflect rehabilitation.

In general, it took two to four counselling sessions to gather relevant information to determine whether a person had cover for a sensitive claim.

If the person needed further counselling, 10 sessions would be approved, followed by another 20 hours if needed, and so on.

"Counselling is not limited where the clinical indicators are for ongoing help," he said.

Mr Folster said decisions to fund more counselling hours were based on progress against the counsellor's and claimant's pre-set goals, and subject to a second opinion by an ACC contracted peer reviewer.

ACC had also decided to update earlier therapy guideline and had commissioned Massey University to evaluate relevant literature published since 1999.

The researchers would study how to get the best outcomes of therapy for claimants, and consult established providers, he said.