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Caught in a Web of Multiple Jeopardy: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and HIV-Positive Asylum Seekers in Scotland

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Abstract

Many HIV-positive asylum seekers have experienced multiple traumas and human rights violations—circumstances that engender posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This qualitative study examines the impact of PTSD symptoms among HIV-positive asylum seekers in Scotland. Data were collected from 19 participants, using open-ended interviews, and narrative analysis was used to develop significant themes. All respondents had significant traumatic experiences, such as physical and sexual assault, witnessing the beating and death of a loved one, and being forced to participate in the sex trade. Many experienced multiple symptoms of PTSD, including re-experiencing of intrusive thoughts, flashbacks, avoidance, and arousal. These symptoms met the duration and impairment requirements for DSM-5 diagnosis of PTSD. Their symptoms impacted their ability to tell their stories convincingly when interviewed by immigration officials. Legal processes for asylum seeking require individuals to tell their stories but ignore the impact of trauma on their ability to do so, thus increasing the likelihood of their applications being rejected. The findings indicate the need for asylum seekers to have routine assessment and treatment for PTSD and the provision of appropriate therapeutic and advocacy services.

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Notes

  1. This agency has been recently renamed as the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), but the older term will be used in this paper because it was in use when data were collected and references were obtained.

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Acknowledgments

This research was made possible by funding from the British Academy Grant Number: SG-52166.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Social Work, School of Social and Political Science, The University of Edinburgh, 15A George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9LD, UK

    George Palattiyil

  2. Edinburgh India Institute, The University of Edinburgh, 22A Buccleuch Place, Edinburgh, EH8 8LN, UK

    Dina Sidhva

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  1. George Palattiyil
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  2. Dina Sidhva
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Correspondence to George Palattiyil.

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Palattiyil, G., Sidhva, D. Caught in a Web of Multiple Jeopardy: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and HIV-Positive Asylum Seekers in Scotland. Clin Soc Work J 43, 362–374 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10615-015-0542-5

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