Responding to mental health vulnerability in Maltese detention centres: the use of psychological support groups as an intervention tool

Abstract

Maltese immigration law means that individuals seeking asylum in this country undergo a period of mandatory detention upon arrival lasting a maximum of 18 months. During their stay in detention centres, these individuals are exposed to an environment characterised by loss of liberty, prolonged inactivity, disconnection to family and the outside world and lack of adequate information about ongoing legal proceedings. It is hardly surprising that such a prolonged period of limbo, awash with isolation, uncertainty and degradation, has a negative impact on the mental health of individuals who, in the vast majority, have already experienced multiple personal losses. Research has in fact indicated that the majority of migrants detained in Europe reported deterioration in their mental health during their stay in detention. This article explores the impact of psychological support groups provided by non-state actors in Maltese detention centres aimed at educating about mental health issues, as well as at providing participants with a space where they can openly discuss their psychological difficulties and collaboratively explore ways to enhance their mental health within the constraints of detention. This paper discusses the challenges and benefits of conducting such a programme with an emphasis on how participants viewed the opportunity provided. This discussion analyses how these groups functioned as a medium enabling participants to voice their phenomenological experience of detention on both an individual and collective level and as an arena for negotiating a sense of self that is resilient to the experience of forced detention. In conclusion, this paper provides suggestions on how to address the psychological needs of migrants in closed centres.