ArticleThe International journal of social psychiatry2023
Mental deterioration of refugees and asylum seekers with uncertain legal status in Australia: Perceptions and responses of legal representatives.
Article in The International journal of social psychiatry, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 8 citations in OpenAlex.
- Barriers to and Enablers of Preventive Sexual and Reproductive Health Care Among Women Seeking Asylum in Melbourne, Victoria: A Qualitative Study.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025Article
- Policy paper of the Committee on Ethics and Task Force on Migration and Mental Health: Migration and mental health of migrants, refugees, asylum seekers - Ethical dilemmas and concerns.European psychiatry : the journal of the Association of European Psychiatrists · 2025Review
- Visa Status, Physical Activity and Mental Health Among Farsi/Dari Speaking Refugees, Immigrants and Asylum Seekers in Sydney, Australia.Health promotion journal of Australia : official journal of Australian Association of Health Promotion Professionals · 2025Article
- Vicarious trauma among legal practitioners and judicial officers.Psychiatry, psychology, and law : an interdisciplinary journal of the Australian and New Zealand Association of Psychiatry, Psychology and Law · 2024Article
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Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundMany developed countries have introduced strict measures designed to deter people seeking asylum. Measures such as held detention, insecure visas, restrictions work and services all impact the mental health of asylum seekers. In 2014 Australia introduced a 'fast track assessment' (FTA) system of processing refugee claims for asylum seekers who arrived by boat, those found to be refugees were only eligible for temporary residence. Legal professionals play a pivotal role in protecting the rights of asylum seekers and gain unique insight into the impact of the legal system has on clients mental health.
aimTo investigate how legal professionals in Australia perceived the impact of the FTA process on their clients.
methodsMixed methods comprising of two phases - (i) an online survey and (ii) follow-up focus groups and interviews with legal professionals involved in assisting asylum seekers in the FTA process. An inductive thematic analysis was used to analyse the data.
resultsSurvey results were obtained from 38 legal professionals. Follow up in depth qualitative focus groups and interviews were conducted with 16 survey participants. The data demonstrate that legal professionals encounter clients in complex seemingly insurmountable mental health crises including deepening mental distress and deterioration, feelings of hopelessness, defeat and entrapment. Interviewees shared compelling examples of what they believed constituted a direct connection between asylum seekers experiencing uncertainty and deteriorating mental health over time with fluctuations in hopelessness, anger, withdrawal and suicidality. These negative impacts were often compounded by separation from family.
conclusionsThe legal framework for determining whether an asylum seeker is a refugee can have a detrimental impact on the mental health of asylum seekers. The mental distress of asylum seekers and refugees is exacerbated by uncertainty linked to both delays in processing accompanied by sustained and ongoing uncertainty of legal status.
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