Table 1 Mental Health Problems in Immigration Detainees: Characteristics of 26 quantitative studies
From: The impact of immigration detention on mental health: a systematic review
Author and year | Study Design | Sample | Country of Origin | Country of Study | Outcomes of interest | Method of assessing outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Brabeck & Xu [59] | Cross sectional survey | N = 132 immigrant parents who accessed immigrant community organisations Detention Duration: unknown | Various Latin American countries | United States | Impact of detention / deportation on Latino immigrant families | Self-report survey informed by Brabeck et al. [59] Translated and back translated |
Cleveland & Rousseau [38] | Cross-sectional, comparison survey | N = 122 detained adult asylum seekers, N = 66 non-detained adult asylum seekers Detention Duration: mean 31.2 days, median 17.5 days | Unknown | Canada | Anxiety, depression & PTSD | HTQ, HSCL-25, modified DEC |
Coffey et al. [40] | Cross-sectional semi-structured interview and survey | N = 17 refugees Detention Duration: mean 3 years 2 months, range 1.6 – 4.5 years | Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran and neighbouring countries | Australia | Experience of detention PTSD, depression, anxiety, quality of life | Semi-structured interviews; HSCL-25, HTQ, WHOQOL-Brief |
Cohen [50] | Data comparison | N = 231 self-harm incident reports N = 12 suicide incident reports from IRCs N = 38 suicides from coroners and ombudsman reports | Unknown | UK | Rates of self-harm and suicide | Analysis of records, coroner’s files and ombudsman’s reports |
Cwikel et al. [37] | Cross-sectional, comparison survey | N = 47 female brothel workers in detention, N = 55 female brothel workers Detention Duration: unknown | Former Soviet Union | Israel | PTSD, depression, somatic symptoms, suicidality | PCL, CES-D, constructed scale of physical symptoms, constructed scale of both past trauma and work trauma Russian speaking psychiatrist |
Graf et al. [47] | Cross-sectional survey | N = 80 males detained for violation of the Swiss Aliens Act Detention Duration: 4 days | 31 different countries | Switzerland | Prevalence rates of mental health disorders | BJMHS, CIDI (clinical psychologist), SCL-90R, subjective mental health questionnaire within 4 days of detention, SCL-90R and self-report again 6 months later where possible Material professionally translated into several languages |
Green & Eager [36] | Cross-sectional analysis of health records | N = 720 Detention Duration: range 3 – 24 months | 58 different countries | Australia | Estimated incidence rates of new health conditions, new mental health conditions and new injuries for each cohort | Health records coded by clinical coder |
Hedrick [49] | Analysis of incident reports | Unknown | Unknown | Australia | Self-harm | Self-harm incident reports |
Ichikawa et al. [41] | Cross-sectional, comparison survey | N = 18 former detained asylum seekers, N = 37 non-detained asylum seekers Accessible through a group of voluntary lawyers representing them and two NGO’s Detention Duration: median 7 months, range 4 – 10 months | Afghanistan | Japan | Anxiety, depression, PTSD | HSCL-25, HTQ Translated into Dari and read out to participants by NGO caseworkers |
Keller, Rosenfeld et al. [44] | Cross-sectional survey | N = 70 detained asylum seekers Detention Duration: median 7 months, range 2 – 42 months | Multiple countries | USA | Anxiety, depression, PTSD | HSCL-25, HTQ (+ two month follow up) Scales translated by interpreter, interviewed by experienced physician |
Lorek et al. [52] | Cross-sectional survey | N = 11 detained children, N = 9 parents who responded to free legal assistance Detention Duration: range 11 – 115 days | Multiple | Britain | Mental and physical health of children held within immigration detention centre | Clinical diagnostic interviews, SCAS, DSRS, R-IES-13, SDQ, CORE, observations Psychologist and paediatricians had all been trained in carrying out cross-cultural assessments and worked regularly with asylum seeking children and families |
Mares [54] | Secondary analysis of Australian Human Rights Commissions Data Set | N = 131 adults and N = 35 completed K10 N = 70 completed SDQ Detention Duration: mean 8 months, range 90-390 days | Unknown | Australia | Psychological distress, behavioural difficulties | K10, SDQ |
Mares & Jureidini [53] | Assessment of referrals into CAMHS | N = 16 adults, 20 children, 10 families Detention Duration: mean 1 year 3 months, range 12 – 18 months | Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine | Australia | Clinical assessment | Clinical instrument unknown |
Momartin et al. [51] | Cross-sectional survey | N = 49 former immigration detainees on temporary protection visas and N = 67 granted permanent protection visas Detention duration: mean 12 months | Unknown | Australia | PTSD, anxiety, depression, general health, living difficulties and experiences of detention | HTQ, HSCL-25, GHQ-30, MOSSF-12, PMDC, DEC |
Puthoopparambil et al. [46] | Cross-sectional survey | N = 127 immigration detainees Detention Duration: mean 37.8 days | 46 different countries | Sweden | Quality of life | WHOQOL-BREF – incl. Six psychological questions Authorised telephone interpreters (used by 77 participants) |
Robjant et al. [11] | Cross-sectional, comparison survey | N = 67 detained asylum seekers, N = 30 detained former prisoners, N = 49 asylum seekers living in the community Detention Duration: unknown | Unknown | UK | PTSD, depression, anxiety | HADS, IES-R, PDS English |
Rojas-Flores [57] | Cross sectional comparison survey | N = 39 children of detained or deported parents N = 42 unauthorised no history of detention or deportation N = 16 Legal permanent resident Detention Duration: unknown | Mexico or Central America | US | PTSD, depression, behavioural difficulties, daily functioning | UCLA PTSD-RI, CES-DSC, BASC-2 PRS-C, TSCYC-SP, BASC-2 TRS-C, CAFAS |
Rothe et al. (2002a) | Cross sectional survey | N = 74 adolescents Detention Duration: 4-6 months | Cuba | US | PTSD, psychological distress | PTSDRI, checklist of PTSD symptoms |
Rothe et al. (2002b) | Cross sectional survey | N = 87 adolescents Detention Duration: mean 6-8 months | Cuba | US | PTSD, behavioural difficulties | PTSDRI, CBCL-TRF |
Sen et al. [45] | Observational, Cross-sectional | N = 101 male detained in immigration removal centre Detention Duration: unknown | 27 different countries | UK | Neurodevelopmental | MINI v6, SAPAS, AQ-10, ASRS, LDSQ, CANFOR No interpreters |
Sobhanian et al. [42] | Cross-sectional survery | N = 150 former refugee detainees Detention Duration: mean 11.3 months, range 2 – 21 months | Iran, Afghanistan | Australia | Psychological status and quality of life | T-FAST, QOLI, POMS, SIS Translated and back translated into Farsi, self report administered under supervision of clinical psychologist |
Steel et al. [23] | Cross-sectional | N = 10 families (14 adults, 20 children) held for in immigration detention for more than two years Detention Duration: mean 2 years 4 months, range 2 years 2 months – 2 years 8 months | Unknown | Australia | Psychiatric Status | DEC, DSC, K-SADS-PL, SCID-IV, Parenting Questionnaire, Over the telephone by same language-speaking psychologists with prior professional experience working with refugees |
Steel et al. [43] | Cross-sectional, comparison survey | N = 241 Arabic-speaking Mandaean refugees Detention Duration: median 6 months | Mainly Iran and Iraq | Australia | Anxiety, depression & PTSD | HTQ, HSCL-25, MOSSF-12, PMLD, DEC, DSC Translated and back translated by certified Arabic-speaking healthcare interpreter |
Steel et al. [39] | Longitudinal survey | N = 47 former immigration detainees on temporary protection visas and N = 57 granted permanent protection visas attending a state-wide early intervention program in New South Wales Detention Duration: meadian 8 months, range 1 – 30 months | Iran, Afghanistan | Australia | Anxiety, depression and PTSD | HTQ, HSCL-25, GHQ-30, PSWQ, PMLD Baseline and 2-year follow up Measures translated by experienced clinical psychologist fluent in both dialects, and back translated. Interviews undertaken by Fasi / Dari speaking psychologists |
Young & Gordon [48] | Secondary analysis of Australian Human Rights Commissions Data Set | N = 1354 detained refugees, asylum seekers and ‘others’ | Unknown | Australia | PTSD, mental health | K10, HTQ, HoNOS, HoNOSCA |
Zwi et al. [58] | Cross sectional survey | N = 48 detained children N = 38 child asylum seekers in community | Eastern Mediterranean, South East Asia, Pacific, Africa, Stateless origin | Australia | Behavioural difficulties | SDQ |