Each year, the second of December marks the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, a day intended to raise awareness of contemporary forms of slavery while remembering the painful history behind it. Slavery has existed for centuries, defined broadly as the illegal exploitation of people for personal or commercial gain. Even from that definition alone, it is clear why this form of oppression has not disappeared. It may have been formally abolished around the world, but where it continues to generate significant profit, it has, in practice, continued too.

Today, modern slavery affects women, men, and children across the globe, most often under the umbrella of human trafficking, the unlawful transport and exploitation of people for labour, sexual exploitation, organ removal, forced marriage, child soldiering, or debt bondage.

Forced labour is one of the most common forms of modern slavery. Many victims are coerced through manipulation or false promises of opportunity, particularly in communities facing significant hardship, where the promise of escape can outweigh caution. Victims are frequently held against their will, stripped of identification and belongings, and forced to work under threat.

Sexual exploitation involves the trafficking of individuals, disproportionately women and children, into non-consensual sexual activity, trapping victims in ongoing cycles of abuse.

Organ trafficking involves the illegal removal and trade of human organs to meet demand that exceeds legal supply, making it a particularly profitable and dangerous form of exploitation.

Forced marriage typically involves children, most often girls, coerced into marriage without consent, often accompanied by expectations of non-consensual sexual activity and a loss of personal autonomy.

Child soldiering involves the forced recruitment of children into armed groups, used as combatants in conflicts they have no part in choosing.

Debt bondage occurs when a person is forced to work to pay off a debt, often one they did not knowingly incur, with earnings largely or entirely absorbed by the debt itself, leaving victims with little genuine control over their circumstances.

Given the nature of these experiences, it is not difficult to understand the toll they take on mental health. Survivors of modern slavery frequently experience lasting psychological difficulties, including anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder, often compounded by a recovery process that prioritises basic physical needs while overlooking psychological ones. In the earliest stages after escape, survivors typically have little beyond the clothes they are wearing, alongside significant physical and psychological harm.

Repeated exposure to physical, verbal, psychological, and sexual abuse can contribute to post-traumatic stress disorder, with symptoms including nightmares, flashbacks, and intrusive thoughts, all of which can significantly affect a survivor’s ability to adjust and cope once they return to ordinary life.

Community support plays a vital role in a survivor’s wellbeing and reintegration. Having already endured significant isolation, many survivors then face public scrutiny or stigma upon returning home, which can compound existing trauma. Reintegration can be especially difficult for survivors of sexual exploitation, who may face harmful stigma from their own communities. Persistent rejection can deepen a survivor’s sense of shame, sometimes leading them to internalise the belief that they are somehow beyond repair, which, layered onto existing difficulties, can increase the risk of suicidal thoughts in severe cases.

Recovery requires patience and an open mind towards experiences most of us will never fully understand. Given what survivors have often endured at the hands of other people, it is unsurprising that trust and connection do not come easily. Persistent hypervigilance, informed by real experience, can make it difficult to feel safe again, and many survivors live with intense anxiety around the possibility of being retrafficked. The emotional toll of this can increase vulnerability to substance use as a way of managing distressing thoughts and memories, alongside patterns of self-criticism that can be difficult to shift. Children in particular may feel that their identity has been shaped, unfairly, by acts they were forced into rather than chose.

So how do we begin to support survivors in rebuilding their lives? Access to mental health services is central to this. Alongside addressing immediate socio-economic needs, survivors need support from qualified professionals who can help address the specific trauma and victimisation they have experienced. Therapy focused on rebuilding self-confidence and self-worth is important, helping survivors reconnect with a sense of purpose and separate their identity from what was done to them. Support groups and counselling can help survivors identify their own goals and aspirations as they move forward, and where appropriate and genuinely supportive, involvement in local advocacy can offer a way of reclaiming a sense of agency, provided this does not risk retriggering trauma.

Given the degree of isolation many survivors have experienced, rebuilding a sense of belonging and healthy connection to others is essential, and this requires active support from the wider community. Peer support from mentors and fellow survivors can offer both practical guidance and a sense of hope. Timing matters here: survivors need to feel ready to share their experiences rather than being pressured to do so before they are able.

More broadly, we need continued investment in training mental health professionals to work effectively with survivors of modern slavery, and sustained pressure on governments to provide accessible, free services, particularly in lower income regions, removing barriers such as cost and language wherever possible. Alongside this, law enforcement and policy reform must continue working to reduce trafficking itself. Until that progress is made, however, we must remain prepared to support those living with its consequences.

Mind Over Matter.

Disclaimer: This article is shared for general psychoeducational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute professional psychological, medical, or counselling advice, and is not a substitute for assessment, diagnosis, or treatment by a qualified mental health professional. If anything in this article raises concerns about your own wellbeing or that of someone you know, please reach out to a registered counsellor, psychologist, or your local emergency and crisis services. Where personal experiences are shared, names and identifying details have been omitted or changed to protect the privacy of those involved.