Objectives. To compare levels of depression, anxiety, and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) amongst immigration detainees with a comparison group of asylum seekers living within the community. Design. A cross-sectional questionnaire study. Methods. Sixty-seven detained asylum seekers, 30 detainees who had previously been imprisoned within the UK for criminal offences, and 49 asylum seekers living in the community completed the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) and the impact of event scale-revised (IES-R). Demographic information was collected. Results. High levels of anxiety, depression, and PTSD symptoms were reported by all three groups. Detained asylum seekers had higher scores than asylum seekers living within the community for depression, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms. There was an interaction between length of detention period and prior exposure to interpersonal trauma (IP trauma) on depression scores. Conclusions. Immigration detainees are highly vulnerable to psychological distress. A review of detention policies is recommended in light of this. Immigration detention may have an independent adverse effect on mental health. It is also possible that individuals with mental health problems may be more likely to be detained. Further research is required to investigate this. © 2009 The British Psychological Society.

[No Keywords available]

hospitalization refugee psychological aspect human Life Change Events Refugees comorbidity prisoner middle aged Prisoners Stress, Psychological mental stress comparative study health status policy statistics Aged Great Britain Cross-Sectional Studies cross-sectional study life event Humans Adolescent Severity of Illness Index male Emigrants and Immigrants female questionnaire Article Questionnaires adult migration legal aspect posttraumatic stress disorder United Kingdom Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic Emigration and Immigration public policy