Barriers and challenges around the mental health of refugees and asylum seekers in Chile

Abstract

Asylum and refuge in Chile h¬ave received limited attention in policymaking and academia, and there is scarce evidence on their mental health needs and outcomes. Studies on mental healthcare access for international migrants suggest systemic barriers linked to costs and coverage, administrative issues, and adequacy of services. Today, we see that asylum and refuge is an emerging topic in Chile, which opens up the challenges around the mental health of refugees and asylum seekers. This topic is gaining visibility due to increased asylum claims over the past ten years, making it an urgent topic at a policy level. An exploratory qualitative study was conducted in 2018 on the health and social needs of asylum seekers and refugees from Latin America in Chile. This study indicated a general lack of knowledge on the mental health needs of refugees and asylum seekers and Chile and a lack of training in mental health professionals to address specific needs. Consequently, the health needs of these people remain largely unaddressed in terms of the number of available services and the relevance and pertinence of the services delivered. As Chile is positioning itself as a receiving country of refugees and asylum seekers in Latin America and the Caribbean, there is an opportunity to "do better" and adequately address the mental health of these marginalized populations.