Let's Talk About…Access to Mental Health Services for Refugees and Asylum Seekers (World Mental Health Day 2025)

About this episode

The episode discusses access to mental health services for refugees and asylum seekers, focusing on trauma and community support.

It's World Mental Health Day 2025, and this year's theme is 'access to services - mental health in catastrophes and emergencies'. The theme highlights the importance of people being able to protect their mental health in times of global instability. In this special episode of Lets' Talk about CBT, Helen Macdonald speaks with Kerry Young, a consultant clinical psychologist specialising in PTSD, particularly among asylum seekers and refugees. They discuss the impact of trauma on mental health, the challenges faced by asylum seekers in accessing mental health services, and the importance of community support. The conversation also touches on the role of interpreters in therapy, barriers to accessing services, and positive developments in mental health support for asylum seekers. Useful Information The British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP) is the lead organization for CBT in the UK. For those interested in supporting or learning more, Kerry suggests looking up: Freedom from Torture , the Helen Bamber Foundation , Breaking Barriers , Host Nation and The Refugee Council More information from the European Association for Behavioural and Cognitive…

People in this episode

Host: Helen Macdonald

Guest: Kerry Young

Topics covered

• mental health services
• refugees
• asylum seekers
• trauma
• community support
• access to services

Keywords

• mental health
• refugees
• asylum seekers
• PTSD
• community support
• therapy
• interpreters
• access to services

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies, Freedom from Torture, Helen Bamber Foundation, Breaking Barriers, Host Nation, The Refugee Council, European Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Therapies, Doctors of the World, Royal College of Psychiatrists

Places: Wales

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