The Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) International is urging survivors of sexual abuse by psychiatrists, psychologists, other mental health therapists, or psychiatric hospital staff to contact it and report, in confidence, any abuse. An online reporting form is available for survivors and witnesses to report these crimes safely and privately. This call follows a disturbing rise in media reports and convictions involving patients sexually abused by mental health professionals.
In response, CCHR International is calling for uniform state laws that deliver stronger criminal penalties, mandatory reporting requirements, and full accountability for those who exploit vulnerable patients. 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 criminal statutes recognizing the added protections patients need.
A study addressing U.S. laws found that only five states have addressed reporting sexual relationships between physicians and patients. Of these, only Texas mandates that a physician who learns of such misconduct report it, even without the patient's consent. Another 18 states permit reporting under broader laws covering physician impairments and unethical conduct, but reporting standards vary widely with vague terms such as "reasonable belief" or "any information."
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 of criminal and disciplinary actions against mental health personnel shows that nearly a third of criminal convictions involve sexual abuse.
A 2026 BMJ Open scoping review found that approximately 3%–21% of patients reported experiencing some form of abuse by healthcare professionals in mental health services. A 2023 study found that 5% to 45% of mental health inpatients experience sexual violence during admission, with underreporting common due to stigma, fear, and a culture of silence.
CCHR has documented systemic sexual abuse in for-profit psychiatric hospitals, including 21 incidents involving patients and children in one chain of facilities. Two staff members were convicted and sentenced to a combined 35 years in prison, and two facilities were closed following allegations.
Jan Eastgate, President of CCHR International, said: "Mental health facilities can operate with little supervision, creating a breeding ground for abusive acts to go undetected for years. 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 immediate regulatory reforms, including uniform criminal laws in all states 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.
