Asylum seekers in Australian offshore detention at 20 times greater PTSD risk than someone not detained, study finds

Exclusive: New survey data offers unique insight into the long-term psychological effects of offshore process'

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Asylum seekers detained offshore face a 20-times greater risk of post-traumatic stress disorder than someone who is not detained or held onshore for less than six months, new research from the University of New South Wales has found.

In a letter to the editor published in the British Journal of Psychiatry on Tuesday, researchers detailed a study that surveyed 990 adult refugees and asylum seekers living in the Australian community between 2011 and 2018. Of those, 215 had spent some time in detention.

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