Confining asylum seekers in detention centres negatively affects their mental health both during the detention and after their release
In this review, we aimed to find evidence of the impact of confining asylum seekers on their mental and physical health and social functioning.
What is this review about?
The number of people fleeing conflicts and persecution is increasing. However, many countries use harsh measures to discourage people who wish to apply for asylum, including confining asylum seekers in detention centres. The number of such centres is rising. Understanding the health impact of detaining asylum seekers is important. Asylum seekers have high rates of pre-migration trauma from exposure to war, genocide or imprisonment. These experiences make them vulnerable to health problems. Confining them may worsen the effects of the trauma they have experienced already.
This Campbell systematic review assessed whether detaining asylum seekers has an impact on their mental health. The review also assessed whether detaining asylum seekers has a negative impact on their social functioning.
What is the aim of this review?
Included studies compared asylum seekers who were detained with those who were not detained.
A total of 14 studies met the requirements for inclusion. The studies were conducted in four countries: the UK, Japan, Canada, and Australia.
All the studies used non-randomised designs. Eight of the studies were excluded from the analysis because there were important differences between the groups which were compared, or because the studies were judged to have methodological limitations. All the excluded studies were conducted in Australia, which has a policy of mandatory detention.
What is the impact?
Detention has a negative impact on the mental health of asylum seekers. Levels of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety both before and after release were found to be higher amongst asylum seekers who were detained compared to those who were not detained. The size of the effects was clinically important. One study each reported outcomes related to psychological distress, social functioning and self-harm. In particular self-harm was highly related to detention.
What do the findings of this review mean?
Policymakers should consider less harmful policy options than detention. These options may include reporting requirements, sureties or bail, or community supervision. Options that restrict people’s freedom of movement should also be closely monitored to ensure that these do not also have negative mental health effects.
The research summarised in the review is of moderate quality. Further research is needed to assess the impacts of keeping asylum seekers in detention centres on their physical and mental health and social functioning. A deeper, comparative understanding of the impacts of different detention conditions on asylum seekers is also needed.