Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-p2v8j Total loading time: 0.001 Render date: 2024-05-17T01:58:58.323Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

4 - Access to mental health care

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 August 2022

By
Alison Summers ,
Norma McKinnon  and
Jo Miller
Edited by
Chris Maloney ,
Julia Nelki  and
Alison Summers
Get access

Summary

People in the asylum system who might benefit from mental health care frequently find it very difficult to access this.

Some do not seek help, perhaps because they do not expect mental health services to be helpful or because of fear, stigma, or wanting to avoid the processes of help-seeking.Those who do seek help encounter multiple challenges including language barriers, the limitations of health care provision within the asylum system, difficulties negotiating primary care, NHS charges, practical difficulties in getting to a first appointment, and service eligibility criteria. People may face barriers linked to their age, gender, sexuality, or being destitute.

The chapter offers a typology of obstacles to reaching effective mental health care as a step towards considering how these may be addressed.This considers the context (resource limitations /ambivalence about providing equal care) and the sources of specific obstacles, including ‘hostile’ asylum policies. Recurring themes include the need for accessible information,friendly compassionate staff, cultural competence, access to qualified interpreters, appropriately trained staff, and a willingness to be flexible.

Keywords

Asylum systemHelp-seekingmental health servicesaccessstigmaNHS chargeseligibility criteriaracisminterpreting
Type
Chapter
Information
Seeking Asylum and Mental Health
A Practical Guide for Professionals
 , pp. 71 - 89
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bignall, T., Jeraj, S., Helsby, E., and Butt, J. (2019). Racial Disparities in Mental Health: Literature and Evidence Review. London: Race Equality Foundation.Google Scholar
Campbell, R. (2017). Locked Up, Locked Out: Health and Human Rights in Immigration Detention. London: British Medical Association.Google Scholar
Gov.uk (2021). Language interpreting and translation: Migrant health guide. www.gov.uk/guidance/language-interpretation-migrant-health-guideGoogle Scholar
Equality and Human Rights Commission (2018). Making sure that people seeking and refused asylum can access healthcare: What needs to change. www.doctorsoftheworld.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/people-seeking-asylum-access-to-healthcare-what-needs-to-change-1.pdfGoogle Scholar
Kang, C., Tomkow, L., and Farrington, R. (2019). Access to primary health care for asylum seekers and refugees: a qualitative study of service user experiences in the UK. British Journal of General Practice, 69(685): e537–e545.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Medical Justice (2022). Harms in Detention. https://medicaljustice.org.uk/heathcare-in-detention/ (Accessed 28.4.22).Google Scholar
Memon, A., Taylor, K., Mohebati, L. M. et al. (2016). Perceived barriers to accessing mental health services among black and minority ethnic (BME) communities: A qualitative study in Southeast England. BMJ Open, 6: e012337.Google Scholar
Nellums, L. B., Rustage, K., Hargreaves, S., et al. (2018). The Lived Experience of Access to Health Care for People Seeking and Refused Asylum. Manchester: Equality and Human Rights Commission.Google Scholar
O’Shaughnessy, R., Nelki, J., Chiumento, A., Hassan, A., and Rahman, A. (2012). Sweet Mother: Evaluation of a pilot mental health service for asylum-seeking mothers and babies. Journal of Public Mental Health, 11(4): 214–28.Google Scholar
Quinn, N. (2014). Participatory action research with asylum seekers and refugees experiencing stigma and discrimination: the experience from Scotland. Disability & Society, 29(1): 58–70.Google Scholar
Schymyck, A. (2020). Rule 35 isn’t working and there’s data to prove it. www.freemovement.org.uk/rule-35-isnt-working-and-theres-data-to-prove-it/Google Scholar
Sen, P., Arugnanaseelan, J., Connell, E., et al. (2018). Mental health morbidity among people subject to immigration detention in the UK: A feasibility study. Epidemiol Psychiatr Sci, 27(6): 628–37.Google Scholar
Summers, A., Alachkar, M., and Wells, R. (2018). Health and Wellbeing of Refugees Resettled in Lancashire. An assessment of needs for Lancashire Resettlement Programme, on behalf of Lancashire County Council. Published online by Rethink Rebuild Society at: www.rrsoc.org/node/1145Google Scholar
Straßner, C., Noest, S., Preussler, S. et al. (2019). The impact of patient-held health records on continuity of care among asylum seekers in reception centres: a cluster-randomised stepped wedge trial in Germany. BMJ Global Health, 4: e001610.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
UNHCR. Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (2008). The Right to Health. Factsheet 31. Geneva: United Nations.Google Scholar
Yeo, C. (2020). Welcome to Britain: Fixing Our broken immigration system. London: Biteback Publishing Ltd.Google Scholar

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×