# Deteriorating mental health It is well documented that immigration detention causes harm to people’s mental health, that the impact on mental health increases the longer someone is held, and that this impact lasts well beyond someone’s release from detention. The fact of being held in immigration causes mental distress and illness, increases the risk of self-harm and/ or suicide, and also can act to exacerbate existing mental health problems. A clear summary of the clinical research position that all detained people are at risk of harm caused by detention is contained in the [Royal College of Psychiatrists Position Statement](https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/docs/default-source/improving-care/better-mh-policy/position-statements/position-statement-ps02-21---detention-of-people-with-mental-disorders-in-immigration-removal-centres---2021.pdf): *“Detention centres are likely to precipitate a significant deterioration of mental health in most cases, greatly increasing suffering and the risk of suicide.”* {% hint style="info" %} **Further Reading** There is considerable academic research on these issues, for example: * [Bosworth (2016) The Impact of Immigration Detention on Mental Health: A literature review](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2732892) * [M. von Werthern et al. (2018) *The impact of immigration detention on mental health: a systematic review*](https://bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-018-1945-y) * [Verhülsdonk, I., Shahab, M., & Molendijk, M. (2021) *Prevalence of Psychiatric Disorders Among Refugees and Migrants in Immigration Detention: Systematic Review with Meta-analysis.*](https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/bjpsych-open/article/prevalence-of-psychiatric-disorders-among-refugees-and-migrants-in-immigration-detention-systematic-review-with-metaanalysis/20729EFFC3668FDF669E9939B96D3C2C) {% endhint %} --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://avid-detention.gitbook.io/avid-handbook/safeguards/harms-of-detention-what-safeguarding-concerns-do-visitors-come-across-in-detention/deteriorating-mental-health.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.