The health-related experiences of detained immigrants with and without mental illness
Background: Incarcerated individuals with mental illness face unique health challenges, yet we know little about individuals with mental illness who are detained by US immigration authorities. We aimed to describe the health-related experiences of detained immigrants with and without mental illness....
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Journal of Migration and Health |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666623525000017 |
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| author | Caitlin Patler Altaf Saadi Paola Langer |
| author_facet | Caitlin Patler Altaf Saadi Paola Langer |
| author_sort | Caitlin Patler |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Incarcerated individuals with mental illness face unique health challenges, yet we know little about individuals with mental illness who are detained by US immigration authorities. We aimed to describe the health-related experiences of detained immigrants with and without mental illness. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional telephone survey in 2021 with a sample of recently detained immigrants who were detained by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and released in the United States in 2020–2021 (n = 203). We used multivariable regression to assess the association between mental illness and the incidence of five outcomes while in immigration detention: 1) poor general health, 2) difficulty accessing medical services, 3) difficulty accessing mental health services, 4) interruptions to care, 5) and exposure to solitary confinement. Results: 115/203 participants (56.7 %) had diagnosed mental illness, most commonly depression and PTSD. Rates of poor health, difficulty accessing medical and mental health services, interruptions to care, and exposure to solitary confinement during detention were high overall, and significantly higher among individuals with mental illness. Conclusion: There is pressing need for policy actions and protections to mitigate health harms experienced in immigration detention. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-fe6e1ef8fc47441dbc2d503d77c0a212 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2666-6235 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Migration and Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-fe6e1ef8fc47441dbc2d503d77c0a2122025-01-11T06:42:04ZengElsevierJournal of Migration and Health2666-62352025-01-0111100302The health-related experiences of detained immigrants with and without mental illnessCaitlin Patler0Altaf Saadi1Paola Langer2Goldman School of Public Policy, University of California Berkeley, 2607 Hearst Ave, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States; Corresponding author at: Goldman School of Public Policy, UC Berkeley, 2607 Hearst Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94720-7320, United States.Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United StatesGoldman School of Public Policy, University of California Berkeley, 2607 Hearst Ave, Berkeley, CA 94720, United StatesBackground: Incarcerated individuals with mental illness face unique health challenges, yet we know little about individuals with mental illness who are detained by US immigration authorities. We aimed to describe the health-related experiences of detained immigrants with and without mental illness. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional telephone survey in 2021 with a sample of recently detained immigrants who were detained by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and released in the United States in 2020–2021 (n = 203). We used multivariable regression to assess the association between mental illness and the incidence of five outcomes while in immigration detention: 1) poor general health, 2) difficulty accessing medical services, 3) difficulty accessing mental health services, 4) interruptions to care, 5) and exposure to solitary confinement. Results: 115/203 participants (56.7 %) had diagnosed mental illness, most commonly depression and PTSD. Rates of poor health, difficulty accessing medical and mental health services, interruptions to care, and exposure to solitary confinement during detention were high overall, and significantly higher among individuals with mental illness. Conclusion: There is pressing need for policy actions and protections to mitigate health harms experienced in immigration detention.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666623525000017US immigration detentionImmigrantsRefugeesMental illnessHealth disparitiesHealthcare interruptions |
| spellingShingle | Caitlin Patler Altaf Saadi Paola Langer The health-related experiences of detained immigrants with and without mental illness Journal of Migration and Health US immigration detention Immigrants Refugees Mental illness Health disparities Healthcare interruptions |
| title | The health-related experiences of detained immigrants with and without mental illness |
| title_full | The health-related experiences of detained immigrants with and without mental illness |
| title_fullStr | The health-related experiences of detained immigrants with and without mental illness |
| title_full_unstemmed | The health-related experiences of detained immigrants with and without mental illness |
| title_short | The health-related experiences of detained immigrants with and without mental illness |
| title_sort | health related experiences of detained immigrants with and without mental illness |
| topic | US immigration detention Immigrants Refugees Mental illness Health disparities Healthcare interruptions |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666623525000017 |
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