Sick and Tired—Sociodemographic and Psychosocial Characteristics of Asylum Seekers Awaiting an Appointment for Psychotherapy

Ulrich Trohl, Karoline Wagner, Vivian Kalfa, Sarah Negash, Andreas Wienke and Amand Führer
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Ulrich Trohl: Institute for Medical Epidemiology, Biometrics and Informatics, Interdisciplinary Center for Health Sciences, Medical School of the Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, 06112 Halle (Saale), Germany
Karoline Wagner: Institute for Medical Epidemiology, Biometrics and Informatics, Interdisciplinary Center for Health Sciences, Medical School of the Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, 06112 Halle (Saale), Germany
Vivian Kalfa: Psychosocial Centre for Refugees and Victims of Torture, 06108 Halle (Saale), Germany
Sarah Negash: Institute for Medical Epidemiology, Biometrics and Informatics, Interdisciplinary Center for Health Sciences, Medical School of the Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, 06112 Halle (Saale), Germany
Andreas Wienke: Institute for Medical Epidemiology, Biometrics and Informatics, Interdisciplinary Center for Health Sciences, Medical School of the Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, 06112 Halle (Saale), Germany
Amand Führer: Institute for Medical Epidemiology, Biometrics and Informatics, Interdisciplinary Center for Health Sciences, Medical School of the Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, 06112 Halle (Saale), Germany

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 22, 1-15

Abstract: Background: An EU directive holds the EU member states responsible for implementing the provision of health care for asylum seekers. However, current literature indicates insufficient care for asylum seekers in the German health system. This article aims to characterize the situation of the client population on the waiting list of a psychosocial center (PSZ). Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational study based on client files in Halle (Saale), Germany. We included 437 adults who were on the PSZ waiting list between 2016 and 2019. Questionnaires that collected information on the clientele at two different times were analyzed. Results: The average waiting time for psychotherapy was 50 weeks. In total, 85.6% of the 188 respondents reported sleep disorders ( n = 161), 65.4% of clients reported pain ( n = 123) and 54.8% suicide attempts/suicidal thoughts ( n = 54). In the 16-week waiting period in which the clients waited for an initial appointment with a psychologist, the residence status deteriorated in 21.3% ( n = 40). Conclusion: Improving asylum seekers’ access to the German health system is urgently needed in order to prevent unnecessary suffering in the future and to comply with EU law.

Keywords: asylum seekers; mental health; secondary data analysis; health care utilization (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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