Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40018616›Full record

ArticleBMJ public health2024

Impact of the asylum determination process on mental health in the UK and EU+: a systematic review and thematic synthesis.

Jessie Mulcaire, Dom Smetham, Leah Holt, Sana Zard, Francesca Brady, Ciarán O'Driscoll

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In one paragraph

Article in BMJ public health, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Mental Health and Physiological Biomarkers Under Legal Uncertainty: Evidence From Asylum Centers in Serbia.American journal of human biology : the official journal of the Human Biology Council · 2026
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Jessie MulcaireResearch Department of Clinical, Health and Educational Psychology, UCL, London, UK.
Dom SmethamHaematology Psychology and Psychotherapy Service, University College London Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
Leah HoltResearch Department of Clinical, Health and Educational Psychology, UCL, London, UK.
Sana ZardResearch Department of Clinical, Health and Educational Psychology, UCL, London, UK.
Francesca BradyResearch Department of Clinical, Health and Educational Psychology, UCL, London, UK.ORCID 0009-0007-6931-4824
Ciarán O'DriscollResearch Department of Clinical, Health and Educational Psychology, UCL, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-7316-3041

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: People seeking asylum are at increased risk of mental health difficulties due to premigration and postmigration experiences. The objective of this review was to understand how asylum determination process in the EU+ and UK influences the mental health of asylum seekers. Methods: Web of Science, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PsychArticles and Scopus were searched, with no start date specified, up to 24 August 2023. Peer-reviewed studies were eligible if they provided a qualitative analysis of primary data from adult asylum seekers and refugees regarding lived experience of asylum determination procedures in the UK and EU+, and contextual factors associated with the mental health and well-being. The protocol was not preregistered. From a total of 4902 articles, duplicates were removed, 3235 abstracts were assessed and of the remaining 113 identified for full-screen articles, 39 relevant qualitative studies were retrieved. Six further studies were identified through citation searches. Results: 45 studies were included in the qualitative thematic synthesis, representing the perspectives of 1158 asylum seekers and refugees. Themes demonstrate high levels of psychological distress during and after the asylum process. This was associated with the hostile environments created by policies and procedures. Participants' mental health was affected by being caught in a stalemate while awaiting the outcome of their claim. The procedures exacerbated previous mental health difficulties. External and internal protective factors were identified, such as non-governmental organisations, religion and cognitive strategies. Conclusions: The accumulation of each step of the asylum process contributes to psychological distress and exacerbates mental health difficulties, leading to longer-term consequences for asylum seekers and refugees. Preventive strategies and policy changes are recommended. To minimise the impact of asylum procedures, clinicians should consider peer-led groups, interventions that cultivate a sense of autonomy and meaning and reduce a sense of alienation and isolation.

Indexed as

Community HealthCross-Sectional StudiesPublic Health

Identifiers

PMID40018616
PMCPMC11816696

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.