Congressional Panel: Human Trafficking and Mental Health
The Realities of Human Trafficking: Addressing the Mental Health Needs of Survivors
Sponsored by Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS)
Moderated by:
Hanni Stoklosa, MD, MPH, Executive Director, HEAL Trafficking, and Emergency Physician, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School
Panelists:
Shandra Woworuntu, Founder, Mentari
Rachel Robitz, MD, Co-Chair of Direct Services Committee, HEAL Trafficking, and Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, University of California Davis
Allen Dyer, MD, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences/ Vice Chair for Education, George Washington University
Suzan Song, MD, MPH, PhD, Director, Division of Child/Adolescent & Family Psychiatry, George Washington University
Martina E. Vandenberg, Founder and President, The Human Trafficking Legal Center
Jean Bruggeman, Executive Director, Freedom Network USA
Refreshments served
Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery in which traffickers use force, fraud, or coercion to control victims for the purpose of engaging in commercial sex acts or labor services against a person’s will. Discussions of human trafficking often revolve around prevention but rarely address the aftermath of human trafficking and how victims can begin to heal and lead healthy and productive lives. Research suggests that the majority of human trafficking victims suffer from mental illness as a result of their traumatic experiences – including depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Many survivors also face alcoholism and drug addiction.
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Media contact: Adam Comis at (202) 225-9978