Over the past decade there was a gentle enhance within the numbers of forcibly displaced folks worldwide (UNHCR, 2024b). Individuals searching for asylum are those that have been displaced or migrated to a different nation and have made a declare to be “recognised as a refugee underneath the Refugee Conference and obtain safety and help” (Dwelling Workplace, 2024). The explanation why folks search asylum are different and infrequently advanced, however examples of drivers embrace warfare and battle, human rights abuses, persecution, and pure disasters (Hassan, 2022). In 2024, there have been 8.4 million folks searching for asylum worldwide, which was a 21.8% enhance on the earlier yr (UNHCR, 2024a).
The challenges that individuals searching for asylum and refugees face can have a damaging influence on their psychological well being. Proof means that they expertise greater charges of main depressive dysfunction, post-traumatic stress dysfunction, bipolar affective dysfunction and psychosis in comparison with the overall inhabitants (Patanè et al., 2022). They are often uncovered to danger elements pre-migration or at any level on the migration journey. Nonetheless, even as soon as they’ve escaped the threats of their residence nation, the post-migration dwelling state of affairs of their host nation can contribute to poor psychological well being outcomes (Nowak et al., 2023). Insufficient housing is commonly a key difficulty however different elements similar to unsure immigration standing, unemployment, monetary hardship, household issues, loneliness and discrimination can even worsen psychological well being (Nowak et al., 2023).
The availability of housing for folks searching for asylum is one thing that each one host international locations want to think about. In some locations, folks reside in camp settings for a few years whereas ready for everlasting settlement. In different circumstances, folks searching for asylum are held in immigration detention centres whereas they await a choice on their asylum declare. These centres are normally prison-like in nature and place vital restrictions on residents’ actions in addition to isolating them from wider society. There’s sturdy proof that being in immigration detention, and elevated size of time in detention, is related to worse psychological well being (von Werthern et al., 2018).
In the UK, the federal government has adopted insurance policies of housing folks in a variety of different settings similar to disused navy barracks and inns. This matter has been the topic of heated political debate (UK Parliament, 2025) and there have been public demonstrations about the usage of inns for this function. On the identical time, specialists working within the subject and medical professionals have expressed myriad issues concerning the damaging well being impacts of a number of the momentary lodging websites used to deal with folks searching for asylum (Burnett et al., 2024; Psychological Well being Basis, 2025; Phillimore et al., 2025; Royal School of Psychiatrists, 2024; Spira et al.).
A scientific evaluate revealed in 2023 examined the influence of housing on bodily and psychological well being in refugee and asylum-seeking populations (Brake et al., 2023). It discovered that lack of management over their housing, not having a secure house to reside, and lack of privateness had been key elements negatively impacting on psychological well being (Brake et al., 2023). Importantly, this evaluate solely included research performed in high-income international locations and centered on each folks searching for asylum in addition to refugees. Whereas they could nonetheless face many limitations to accessing ample housing, folks with refugee standing are likely to have higher ranges of safety and extra company over the place they reside.
Right here, I summarise a scientific evaluate that centered particularly on the relationship between housing and psychological well being amongst folks searching for asylum (Spira et al., 2025). Notice that I confer with “folks searching for asylum” as an alternative of “asylum seekers” all through this text, because the latter is taken into account by some to be dehumanising terminology (Refugee Council).
Individuals searching for asylum could also be held in immigration detention centres which may have profound impacts on psychological well being.
Strategies
Spira and colleagues undertook a scientific evaluate of the scientific and gray literature that had been revealed on this matter since a earlier evaluate performed in 2017 (Ziersch & Due, 2018). The authors requested the next questions:
- Main analysis query: What’s the relationship between housing and the psychological well being of individuals searching for asylum?
- Secondary analysis query: What are the related features of housing that influence the psychological well being of individuals searching for asylum?
Research had been solely included if their members had been searching for asylum; folks from different migrant populations, together with refugees, had been excluded. Research had been additionally included in the event that they made any consideration of housing, any consideration of psychological well being, had been revealed between January 2017 and Could 2023, and had been written within the English language. Quantitative, qualitative and mixed-methods research had been included.
Ten databases had been searched. Each title/summary and full textual content screening had been undertaken independently by two reviewers. The standard of included research was assessed by one creator utilizing the Combined Strategies Appraisal Device.
The authors carried out a story synthesis of the findings on account of a excessive degree of heterogeneity among the many included research.
Outcomes
Of the 42 full texts screened, 21 had been excluded. Research had been mostly excluded as a result of they grouped knowledge for refugees and other people searching for asylum collectively, or as a result of they didn’t think about the hyperlink between housing and psychological well being. This left 21 research that had been included within the evaluate. All research had been performed in international locations within the International North besides one performed in Mexico. Totally different types of housing had been studied, together with collective/shared housing (n=13), neighborhood housing (n=8), personal housing (n=7), refugee camps (n=3), detention centres (on-shore) (n=3), detention centres (off-shore) (n=2), and inns (n=1). Twelve research used qualitative strategies together with interviews, ethnography and auto-photography. 9 research used quantitative strategies, with knowledge sources starting from psychological well being service consequence measures, nationwide surveys and longitudinal research. Seventeen research solely included folks searching for asylum and 4 research included combined samples of individuals searching for asylum along with refugees or lodging centre workers. Most research centered on adults searching for asylum however some centered on particular subgroups together with mother and father, ladies, pregnant ladies, torture survivors or kids and younger folks.
The authors organised the synthesis of the findings as such:
1. What is going on?
a. Poor dwelling circumstances
- Elements similar to lack of house, poor hygiene, concern of illness, overcrowding, loud noises, chilly and damp had been related to worse psychological well being outcomes; exacerbating pre-existing psychological well being difficulties or being related to the emergence of latest difficulties.
b. Psychological well being difficulties
- Nervousness, despair, PTSD, self-harm, suicidal ideation and sleep difficulties had been the most typical psychological well being difficulties reported by folks searching for asylum dwelling in unsuitable housing.
c. Affect of various kinds of housing
- Collective housing and detention settings had been related to worse psychological well being outcomes in comparison with personal and neighborhood housing settings.
2. Why is it taking place?
a. Lack of autonomy
- Not having the ability to select the place they reside, restrictions on entry to catering amenities, lack of privateness and issues about not offering appropriate dwelling environments for his or her kids had been elements that impacted negatively on psychological well being.
b. Feeling unsafe
- Sharing lodging with strangers and experiences of violence contributed in direction of a way of feeling unsafe, that in flip negatively impacted on psychological well being, particularly amongst weak ladies and youngsters.
c. Lack of help
- Social isolation, lack of entry to neighborhood help programs, frequent transfers between lodging websites, language limitations, stigma and never having the ability to entry public transport had been linked to poor psychological well being.
- Moreover, poor communication and relationships with lodging workers, in addition to lack of entry to well being and different professionals in some housing choices, had been contributing elements.
d. Coping methods
- Inside sources (together with religion and hope) and exterior sources (together with social help and connections with the area people) had been cited as methods utilized by folks searching for asylum to offset a number of the damaging psychological well being influence of unsuitable housing.
A scarcity of autonomy, security and help had been cited as related features of housing that influence on the psychological well being of individuals searching for asylum
Conclusions
This evaluate highlighted the significance of ample housing for the psychological well being of individuals searching for asylum. The proof instructed that collective housing and detention settings are probably the most detrimental to psychological well being. The authors concluded by making coverage suggestions for the supply of secure housing preparations, particularly the avoidance of detention. Additionally they really useful that clinicians supporting folks searching for asylum attempt to tackle social isolation/exclusion and foster coping methods to handle the psychological well being influence of unsuitable housing.
Collective housing and detention settings had been discovered to be probably the most detrimental to the psychological well being of individuals searching for asylum
Strengths and limitations
A power of this evaluate is that it addresses an essential hole within the literature pertaining to a inhabitants that the authors describe as “exhausting to succeed in” (though the time period “underserved” could also be extra applicable). It’s also a power that individuals searching for asylum had been studied distinctly from different migrant teams. Whereas this method implies that some essential proof might have been excluded (as folks searching for asylum are often studied in combined samples with refugees), it’s useful to check folks searching for asylum individually, as their authorized standing and rights to companies typically go away them with much less autonomy over their housing state of affairs. The evaluate included each quantitative and qualitative research, offering deeper insights into the potential causes underlying the noticed associations between housing and psychological well being. Lastly, having two authors independently display screen research lowered the danger of bias.
A limitation of this evaluate is that it solely included research revealed since 2017, so readers must retrieve earlier opinions on this matter to establish research revealed earlier than this time. Solely English language research had been included, which can be a difficulty on condition that many individuals searching for asylum reside in international locations the place English shouldn’t be the predominate language (UNHCR, 2024a). As well as, just one creator assessed the standard of included research and the outcomes of the standard evaluation for every examine was not reported.
The evaluate highlighted a number of essential limitations of the out there proof base. There was a dearth of proof from international locations within the International South, the place many individuals search asylum (UNHCR, 2024a). There was appreciable heterogeneity within the psychological well being measures utilized in quantitative research, which ranged from formal instruments such because the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire, to the prevalence of recognized psychological problems, to the incidence of self-harm reported by lodging workers. This restricted the flexibility to attract comparisons throughout research. As well as, there was restricted element offered on the cultural validation of screening instruments utilized in every context. The reporting of housing additionally different significantly; some research categorised housing merely as “steady” and “unstable”, which is reductionistic and once more limits the comparability with different research. Lastly, examine pattern sizes had been typically small (vary 2 to 2,399) and potential confounding elements weren’t at all times accounted for. Which means the noticed associations between housing and psychological well being outcomes might have truly been the results of elements similar to pre-existing psychological problems or different post-migration stressors similar to extended uncertainty surrounding immigration standing, discrimination, or household help (Nowak et al., 2023). The findings ought to due to this fact be thought-about in gentle of those limitations.
Maybe a key limitation of any evaluate analyzing the social determinants of psychological well being in pressured migrant populations is the propensity to develop into quickly outdated. The housing choices and dwelling circumstances for folks searching for asylum are to a fantastic extent on the whim of political resolution makers, that means that the conditions they face can change dramatically in a brief house of time. This doesn’t cut back the significance of conducting systematic opinions of the literature; quite the opposite, it signifies a necessity for ongoing analysis and extra frequent synthesis of the proof base concerning the dwelling circumstances and rights of individuals searching for asylum and their psychological well being impacts.
Housing choices for folks searching for asylum can change quickly on the whim of political resolution makers. This means a necessity for ongoing analysis with frequent synthesis of the proof base concerning the influence of dwelling circumstances on psychological well being.
Implications for apply
The findings of this evaluate help the event of insurance policies that cut back the publicity of individuals searching for asylum to dwelling circumstances which are dangerous to their psychological well being. Focus needs to be positioned on making certain sanitary circumstances which are freed from damp, entry to important amenities (together with these for cooking), and lowering restrictions on residents’ actions. Residents ought to have the chance to combine into their native communities and entry healthcare. Security should be a precedence, significantly for girls and youngsters, and violence prevention methods needs to be employed. Coverage makers ought to heed the findings of this evaluate and calls from different organisations to restrict the usage of lodging centres which are dangerous for psychological well being, together with immigration detention and quasi-detention settings. There are some teams of individuals (similar to kids, pregnant ladies, folks with psychological problems and people who have skilled torture, sexual or gender-based violence) who UK medical professionals have argued shouldn’t be topic to immigration detention (Royal School of Midwives, 2017; Royal School of Psychiatrists, 2021; Stevens et al., 2023).
Clinicians might really feel helpless to ameliorate the antagonistic psychological well being impacts related to their sufferers’ housing state of affairs, however they’ll do some helpful issues, for instance, signposting sufferers to organisations that help with community-building and occupational or academic alternatives. Additionally they have an essential function in figuring out and appearing on safeguarding issues for kids and weak adults. Lastly, on the degree of service provision, clinicians might think about what methods their service may undertake to cut back limitations to healthcare entry for folks searching for asylum, particularly those that are socially remoted.
Little doubt, this evaluate additionally requires extra analysis into this matter, particularly within the international locations housing the most individuals searching for asylum, and with bigger pattern sizes. This work needs to be performed in collaboration with folks with lived expertise of searching for asylum, to make sure the analysis is related and moral, and enhance the probability of real-world influence.
Individuals searching for asylum shouldn’t be housed in detention centres, however as an alternative ought to have entry to housing that’s sanitary, secure and permit entry to native communities.
Assertion of pursuits
Grace Crowley is supported by a Wellcome doctoral fellowship (324090/Z/25/Z). She can be a member of the Royal School of Psychiatrists Working Group for Psychological Well being and Compelled Migration.
Hyperlinks
Main paper
Spira, J., Katsampa, D., Wright, H., & Komolafe, Okay. (2025). The connection between housing and asylum seekers’ psychological well being: A scientific evaluate. Social Science & Drugs, 117814.
Different references
Brake, T. M., Dudek, V., Sauzet, O., & Razum, O. (2023). Psychosocial Attributes of Housing and Their Relationship With Well being Amongst Refugee and Asylum-In search of Populations in Excessive-Revenue Nations: Systematic Evaluation. Public Well being Rev, 44, 1605602.
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