From Persecution to Prison - Bellevue/NYU Program for Survivors of ...

poor at the time that they were interviewed. Detained asylum seekersreported numerous health problems. Nearly 90% reported having at leastone physical health problem they considered serious. Musculoskeletalpain, headaches and gastrointestinal problems were the most commoncomplaints. Nearly half the individuals interviewed reported that theirphysical health had worsened during the time they were in detention. It islikely, given the high level of psychological distress found in this population,that somatization 7 is a significant problem.One woman, who was raped in her country of origin commented:When I think about what happened to me, I feel the pain in my bodyagain-like it’s happening to me… I feel like if I could have contact withfamily and friends they could console or comfort me. But to experiencewhat I experienced before arriving to this country and then being put inprison, that added to my suffering.”One individual linked severe headaches he was experiencing withsymptoms of depression.Here, when I feel upset or sad, I get very bad headaches, and this happensa lot. I also get shaky when I feel nervous.While medical services are available on-site in all detention centers,many detainees reported difficulty with access to medical care, particularlyspecialized services, including dental care. Fifty-six percent of the individualswith serious health problems reported having at least one serious conditionfor which they had a lot of or extreme difficulty accessing care.One detainee reported that, while attending a peaceful demonstrationin his country of origin, he suffered a gunshot wound to the groin whenpolice fired into the crowd, and that the bullet had remained lodged there.While he was in detention, the pain in his groin worsened. He reportsbeing told that he would have to wait until he was released to have thebullet removed. He remained in detention for more than 2 1 / 2 years.Another subject, who reported that after being subjected to tear gas ata demonstration in her country, she subsequently had chronic tearing andeye pain, which improved with eyeglasses. After fleeing her country, thesubject lost her glasses. At the detention center, she repeatedly complainedabout needing glasses, but was told that they were “no longer provided.”I like reading. It’s the only way I keep myself busy here. And when Iread, I strain my eyes, and so this makes it difficult for me. When I forcemyself to read, I get headaches. This is stressful for me, since I can’tread. I like to read to get my mind off things, but I can’t.On follow-up interview, the detainee reported that after more than two7Somatization refers to physical symptoms without a detectable or known organic basis, thatare likely psychological in nature, (i.e. related to mental health problems such as anxiety ordepression).EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 9