Asylum seeker and refugee mental health: Information for health and social care professionals (12 April 2022)

Summary

In 2020, 82 million people worldwide were forcibly displaced. In the same year, the UK received applications for asylum for over 37,500 people. Over 40% of those were women and children, and 8% were children who had arrived in the UK alone without a parent or guardian.

This information produced by the Royal College of Psychiatry aims to support health and social care professionals in the UK coming into contact with displaced people. It provides information, guidance and support to ensure timely, high-quality care.

Content

This resource provides information on the following subjects:

• Experiences of mental illness in asylum seekers and refugees
• Distress and common mental illnesses in displaced people
• Approaches and principles
• Need for triage
• Barriers to accessing healthcare
• Safeguarding