Characteristics and needs of asylum seekers and refugees in contact with London community mental health teams: a descriptive investigation.

<bold>Background: </bold>Asylum seekers and refugees may have substantial needs for mental health care, to which both pre-migration and post-migration traumas are likely to contribute. However, there is a paucity of data available to guide appropriate service development.<bold>Aims: </bold>To ascertain numbers and describe the characteristics and needs of asylum seekers and refugees in contact with London Community Mental Health Teams (CMHTs).<bold>Method: </bold>Data were obtained from staff and clinical records regarding socio-demographic and clinical characteristics and service use. Camberwell Assessment of Need Short Appraisal Schedule (CANSAS) and Health of the Nation Outcome Scales (HoNOS) were completed.<bold>Results: </bold>A total of 104 (11%) of the CMHT population were asylum seekers or refugees. Co-morbidity was frequent, and psychiatrists reported significant diagnostic uncertainty for 30%. The most common diagnoses were depression (50%) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (41%), and just over half had a psychotic diagnosis (53%). Social isolation was common, levels of unmet need were high (mean of 6.8 unmet needs each using CANSAS) and the group used few services other than CMHTs.<bold>Conclusions: </bold>The combination of high levels of need and limited service use suggests a need to develop more effective services. High rates of diagnostic uncertainty suggest a need for a clearer understanding of the complex clinical syndromes afflicting this group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]