Bridging the Gaps: Refugee Community Organisations and the Provision of Mental Health Services in the London Borough of Camden, UK
International Journal of Migration, Health and Social Care
ISSN: 1747-9894
Article publication date: 31 December 2008
Abstract
This research project explored how refugee community organisations (RCOs) could become more involved in the government's health agenda to improve the level of consultation and responsiveness in the design and provision of mental health services for ethnic minorities. The method involved a review of relevant literature, interviews with refugee community organisation leaders and community workers, and a survey of refugee service users' involvement with RCOs. The research found that the causes and effects of mental ill health in refugees as understood by interviewees were consistent with much of the literature in this area. The mental health needs of refugees are very similar across nationalities and ethnicities, and distinct from those of the general population and of other migrant groups. Appropriate responses, as understood by community leaders and professional community workers, are currently only partly and insufficiently provided by statutory health services, and there is extensive unmet need.
Keywords
Citation
Palmer, D., Alemu, E. and Hopwood, J. (2008), "Bridging the Gaps: Refugee Community Organisations and the Provision of Mental Health Services in the London Borough of Camden, UK", International Journal of Migration, Health and Social Care, Vol. 4 No. 4, pp. 4-20. https://doi.org/10.1108/17479894200800020
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2008, Emerald Group Publishing Limited