Mental Well-being Impact Assessment of Projects funded

AsylumLink Merseyside: ‘Better Lives’ project
Summary
The stakeholders identified some key determinants of mental well-being that were both of high importance
and had a high impact.
MWIA Area Increasing Control Resilience Participation Inclusion
Skills and Attributes Emotional Well- Sense of belonging Trust others
Key
being
Determinants Opportunities to Trust and Safety Feeling involved Accept and be
influence decisions
accepted
Sense of control Social Networks Opportunities to Practical support to
over work
bring people
together
enable inclusion
A focus on these for Asylum Link Merseyside’s ‘Better Lives’ project will help promote the mental well-being of
the participants in the project and users of the centre.
7. REVIEWING THE LITERATURE EVIDENCE BASE
The MWIA toolkit assessment criteria for the protective factors (discussed in section 6) are based on a review
of the published literature that research suggests are helpful in promoting and protecting mental well-being.
In order to build on this evidence base a short additional literature review was undertaken to identify
published research studies relating to the potential effects of ALM on mental well-being. This is intended to
provide further evidence to substantiate or challenge the findings from the MWIA workshop.
The literature review was complied by searching existing relevant published papers and articles relating to
asylum seekers and the mental well-being or mental health status of the asylum seekers and refugees.
Literature provided by the centre was also used including the yearly newsletter detailing recent events and
changes as well as success stories, a LASAR/MRSN produced magazine in collaboration with Liverpool City
Council, the European Union and Merseyside Refugee Support Network. A study into ALM was also conducted
with the University of Central Lancashire and this has been used for the literature review.
Project Background
This project is unique in that its primary aim is to create a community for people who otherwise are likely to
have extreme difficulty in becoming part of one. Projects such as this one can help foster a sense of
community that otherwise wouldn’t exist and make connections for people who live geographically close
which may not have otherwise been made. Asylum seekers visit the project from the immediate areas of
Kensington, Granby, Toxteth, Wavertree, Bootle and Anfield. However, with Liverpool becoming one of only
two centres for ‘in house’ asylum claims people can travel from Manchester as well as the other areas within
the North West, and even further afield. Asylum seekers commonly come from over 10 (66 in total) countries
around the world and this grouping together of cultures, languages, races and religions is far from ideal.
However, in the experience of ALM there is usually no conflict or problems. Feeling useful, feeling close to
other people and feeling interested in other people are key attributes that contribute to positive mental well-
being (Parkinson 2006) and this is something that is a core aim for ALM.
Physical Health
There is limited research in the UK about the health problems of asylum seekers and how their health is
affected by immigration controls. A few studies completed suggest that 17% of asylum seekers have a physical
health problem severe enough to affect their life and that 66% have experienced significant anxiety and/or
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