402 Barriers to mental health support for asylum seekers: perspectives from professionals

Abstract OP 28: Mental Health 5, B304 (FCSH), September 4, 2025, 16:00 - 17:00 Asylum seekers face significant mental health challenges due to experiences before, during, and after fleeing their homes. For those who await asylum decisions in the reception system, the role of professionals in providing mental health support becomes crucial. This study aims to examine the perspectives of these professionals regarding barriers to effective mental health support for asylum seekers and to identify opportunities for improvement. Altogether 22 professionals were interviewed between November 2023 and May 2024. Four semi-structured focus group online interviews were conducted with nurses, social workers, instructors, and directors working in various reception centers across Finland (N = 18). Additional four individual interviews were carried out with two professionals offering mental support outside the reception center and two with professionals working in the management level supporting the work done in the reception centers. All interviews lasted approximately 60-100 minutes, they were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, pseudonymized, and thematically analyzed. The findings were categorized on micro, meso, and macro levels to provide a comprehensive understanding of the barriers. At the micro level, the professionals identified the following barriers to service provision: professionals’ limited language skills, lack of mental health training, and differences in mental health perceptions. Furthermore, the challenges included the stigma surrounding mental health issues among asylum seekers and the cultural differences in how these concerns are expressed and addressed. At the meso level, the remote locations of centers and limited resources impacted the quality of mental health support. Macro-level barriers included the overarching uncertainty due to asylum applications and limited (legal) access to social and health services. This study complements the perspectives of asylum seekers explored in a connected study, underscoring the need for enhanced mental health training, additional resources, and improved policies to provide equal and non-discriminatory services to those in vulnerable positions.