Trauma and mental health conditions that are common in detention

Post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression

It is widely recognised that the population of people held in immigration detention have very high levels of trauma and high rates of mental illness.

“Research suggests that a high proportion of immigration detainees display clinically significant levels of depression, PTSD and anxiety, as well as intense fear, sleep disturbances, profound hopelessness, self-harm and suicidal ideation.”[1]

Rates of mental ill health including depression, anxiety and PTSD, are far higher among people in detention than in the wider population. A systematic review of the existing international clinical literature on this topic by Verhülsdonk and colleagues (2021)[2] included four studies of people in immigration detention in the UK. The researchers found overall that three quarters of people in immigration detention experienced depression, more than half experienced anxiety and almost half experienced post-traumatic stress disorder.

Resource Tip

Visit Trauma Treatment International’s Glossary for definitions of terms relating to trauma including:

• “A traumatic event: an event, series of events or set of circumstances experienced by an individual as physically or emotionally harmful or threatening to life.

• Post-traumatic stress disorder: “a mental health disorder caused by exposure to a traumatic event or events. The main symptoms are re-experiencing the event in flashback or nightmares, avoiding things that remind the person of the trauma event, and hypervigilance.” – Trauma Treatment International.

Further information is available from National Healthcare for Care and Excellence (NICE) including guidance and recognising signs of PTSD, anxiety and depression.

You can also visit the NHS website for definitions, signs and symptoms of mental health illnesses. The below extracts are taking from the NHS website and provide brief explanations on depression and anxiety. You can visit their website for a fuller list of signs and symptoms of these conditions, further explanation of post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health illnesses.

• “Depression affects people in different ways and can cause a wide variety of symptoms. They range from lasting feelings of unhappiness and hopelessness, to losing interest in the things you used to enjoy and feeling very tearful. Many people with depression also have symptoms of anxiety.

• The main symptom of generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) is “feelings of stress or worry that affect your daily life and are difficult to control.” – NHS website

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[1] Detention of people with mental disorders in Immigration Removal Centres (IRCs), Royal College Psychiatrists Position statement (2021)

[2] Verhülsdonk, I., Shahab, M., & Molendijk, M. (2021) Prevalence of Psychiatric Disorders Among Refugees and Migrants in Immigration Detention: Systematic Review with Meta-analysis.