Mental health challenges facing male survivors of child sexual abuse: Implications for mental health nurses.

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is an issue of epidemic proportions in the United Kingdom (UK) and an international public health problem. Evidence suggests that in the UK one in 20 children have been sexually abused, with one in three not telling anyone about it at the time of the abuse. Conservative estimates suggest that around one in six men have experienced sexual abuse before the age of 18. CSA has been correlated with the development of numerous mental health problems, abused men often displaying externalizing behaviours, including substance misuse, 'risky' sexual behaviours, anti-social behaviour, and offending. This article reports on one aspect of a research study focusing specifically on male survivors of CSA and its effect on their mental health. Using narrative research, face-to-face interviews were used to collect the stories of four men who participated in the research. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Analysis used a two-phase approach; initially, each narrative was analysed as a whole, with an across transcripts analysis then being carried out identifying shared themes emerging from the individual stories. Whilst findings from the second phase of the analysis identify four themes, it is the theme of 'Blocking the Memories' that is the focus for this article. Making a valuable contribution to existent knowledge regarding the experiences of men who were sexually abused as children, this article will help to inform mental health practitioners who are likely to deliver care to male survivors of CSA.