Barriers to access to mental health services for migrant workers, refugees and asylum seekers
| Pages | 33-41 |
| Date | 01 March 2007 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/17465729200700006 |
| Published date | 01 March 2007 |
| Author | Wendy Franks,Nicola Gawn,Gillian Bowden |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care |
This paper reports findings from a qualitative study of the mental health needs of refugees, asylum
seekers and migrant workers living in an East Anglian seaside town with high rates of socio-economic
deprivation. Nine key informants were recruited from people working with refugees, asylum seekers
and migrant workers, and from people who were either members of, or had extensive knowledge
of the issues affecting the relevant communities. Barriers were reported both at the stage of seeking
services and in accessing services once sought. Barriers to seeking services included different
understandings of mental health problems, lack of acknowledgement, discussion and prioritisation of
mental health problems, stigma,lack of knowledge of ser vices, fear of authority and lack of trust.
Barriers to access included previous negative experiences of accessing NHS ser vices,resource
limitations, lack of interpreting and translation services, and practical barriers such as transport and
hoursof appointments.The findings are discussed in relation to mental health ser vice delivery and
mental health promotion.
Barriers to access to mental
health services for migrant
workers, refugees and
asylum seekers
Wendy Franks
Clinical psychologist
Norfolk & Waveney
Mental Health
Partnership NHS Trust
Nicola Gawn
Trainee clinical
psychologist
Canterbury
Christchurch University,
Salomons
Gillian Bowden
Consultant clinical
psychologist
Norfolk & Waveney
Mental Health
Partnership NHS Trust
Correspondence to:
Wendy Franks
Psychological Services
and Primary Care
Norfolk & Waveney
Mental Health
Partnership NHS Trust
Northgate Mental
Health Resource Centre
Northgate Hospital
Great Yarmouth
NR30 1BU
wendy.franks@
nwmhp.nhs.uk
RESEARCH
33
Ithas been reported that mainstream mental
health services may be difficult to access for
people from black and minority ethnic (BME)
groups living in the UK (Sainsbury Centre for
Mental Health, 2002; Crowley, 2005).
This article focuses particularly on barriers to
access to mental health services, and the potential
role for mental health promotion, with respect to
refugees, asylum seekers and migrant workers. The
findings reported here are part of a wider qualitative
study into the mental health needs of refugees,
asylum seekers and migrant workers living in a
seaside town in East Anglia with high rates of socio-
economic deprivation. The research originated from
local clinicians’ observations that the people
referred for psychological therapy services did not
reflect the demographics of the local population.
Funding was obtained to explore the mental health
needs of the target groups, with a particular
emphasis on understanding the apparent
discrepancy between the make-up of the local
population and the pattern of referrals to specialist
mental health services.
Local context
The area is recognised as having some of the highest
levels of socio-economic deprivation in England
(Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, 2004).
Within the context of widespread unemployment
and lack of opportunities, there is increasing
awareness within mental health services of the
arrival of migrant workers, primarily into the
agricultural, food and hospitality industries. The
authors were also aware of anecdotal accounts of
racist attitudes toward migrants within the local
indigenous communities, and confusion between
the status of people who migrate for work and that
of those seeking asylum or granted refugee status.
For a number of reasons – among them, the
mobility of the population, and changes in the
overseas recruitment patterns of local companies –
it was difficult to gain a clear picture of the numbers
journal of public mental health
vol 6 • issue 1
©Pavilion Journals (Br ighton) Ltd
Keywords
barriers
black and minority
ethnic groups
mental health
promotion
community
psychology
qualitative research
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