Medical Journal of Australia
Volume 185, Issue 7, 2006, Pages 357-361

A comparison of the mental health of refugees with temporary versus permanent protection visas (Article)

Momartin S. , Steel Z.* , Coello M. , Aroche J. , Silove D.M. , Brooks R.
  • a Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors (STARTTS), Sydney, NSW, Australia
  • b Psychiatry Research and Teaching Unit, School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  • c Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors (STARTTS), Sydney, NSW, Australia
  • d Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors (STARTTS), Sydney, NSW, Australia
  • e Psychiatry Research and Teaching Unit, School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  • f Psychiatry Research and Teaching Unit, School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia

Abstract

Objectives: To determine the impact of the Australian provisions for temporary rather than permanent protection for asylum seekers found to be genuine refugees. Design and setting: A comparison of the mental health of Persian-speaking refugees with temporary (n=49) versus permanent (n=67) protection visas attending an early intervention program in Sydney, New South Wales, 2002-03. Measures: Standard measures were used to assess past trauma, detention experiences, postmigration stresses, symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression and functional impairment. Results: The two groups had experienced similar levels of past trauma and persecution. Nevertheless, holders of temporary protection visas (TPVs) returned higher scores on three psychiatric symptom measures (P < 0.001). Multivariate analyses showed that TPV status was the strongest predictor of anxiety, depression and particularly PTSD. Further analyses suggested that, for TPV holders, experience of past stresses in detention in Australia and ongoing living difficulties after release contributed to adverse psychiatric outcomes. Conclusions: The sequence of postmigration stresses experienced by TPV holders appears to impact adversely on their mental health.

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

anxiety Afghanistan depression refugee Australia mental health human Refugees middle aged injury detention controlled study comparative study Aged Time Factors language Iran Arabs statistical significance Humans Adolescent early intervention male female Aged, 80 and over prediction stress Multivariate Analysis New South Wales Article experience health care functional disease major clinical study adult migration posttraumatic stress disorder data analysis Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic Emigration and Immigration Linear Models Health Services Accessibility
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-33749644763&partnerID=40&md5=6a9bc548b35450ef7917864b36e498df
ISSN: 0025729X
Cited by: 108
Original Language: English