MESARCH- A national mixed methods study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Multi-disciplinary Evaluation of Sexual Assault Referral Centres for better Health (MESARCH): SARC case analyses and a longitudinal study with survivors of sexual trauma attending SARCs in England
IRAS ID
261455
Contact name
Lorna O'Doherty
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Coventry University
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
P86669, Coventry University Ethics
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 11 months, 31 days
Research summary
Sexual violence is any unwanted sexual act or activity, including though not limited to: rape, sexual assault, child sexual abuse, sexual harassment, rape within relationships, forced marriage, female genital mutilation, and sexual exploitation. Sexual violence affects people of all ages, backgrounds and genders, with recent figures suggesting that one in 5 women and one in 25 men have experienced sexual assault since the age of 16. Sexual violence has serious impacts on a person’s health and well-being. A Sexual Assault Referral Centre (or SARC) offers 24/7 medical care and psychological support, and a first point of contact for victims of sexual violence, whether the police are involved or not. SARCs are set up to support the wide range of needs and wishes of individuals, which is vital in the aftermath of such a devastating experience. There are now 47 SARCs in England. However, the true impact of SARCs is largely unknown, with a lack of evidence at a national level about the extent to which SARCs bring benefit to survivors/service users.
The MESARCH project aims to evaluate whether the services provided through SARCs are effective in supporting them. The project will pursue this aim using mixed-methods approaches including in-depth cases studies at 8 SARC sites and a longitudinal study of health and wellbeing in around 1,500 survivors attending 15 sites. This research will be critical to shaping future SARC service provision in England. The MESARCH project will also strengthen the international evidence base on interventions for sexual assault and abuse.
There are 4 planned workstreams across the MESARCH project. The current application refers to the case studies undertaken in Workstream 2 (WS2) and the longitudinal cohort study undertaken in Workstream 3 (WS3).
REC name
East Midlands - Derby Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/EM/0198
Date of REC Opinion
11 Jul 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion