University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
J Am Acad Psychiatry Law. 2010;38(4):479-89.
Applying for asylum in the United States can be a strenuous process for both applicants and immigration attorneys. Mental health professionals with expertise in asylum law and refugee trauma can make important contributions to such cases. Not only can mental health professionals provide diagnostic information that may support applicants' claims, but they can evaluate how culture and mental health symptoms relate to perceived deficits in credibility or delays in asylum application. They can define mental health treatment needs and estimate the possible effects of repatriation on mental health. Mental health professionals can also provide supportive functions for clients as they prepare for testimony. Finally, in a consultative role, mental health experts can help immigration attorneys to improve their ability to elicit trauma narratives from asylum applicants safely and efficiently and to enhance their resilience in response to vicarious trauma and burnout symptoms arising from work with asylum seekers.
在美国申请庇护对申请人和移民律师来说都是一个艰难的过程。精通庇护法和难民创伤的心理健康专业人员可以为这类案件做出重要贡献。心理健康专业人员不仅可以提供可能支持申请人主张的诊断信息，还可以评估文化和心理健康症状与可信度降低或庇护申请延迟之间的关系。他们可以确定心理健康治疗需求，并估计遣返对心理健康的可能影响。心理健康专业人员还可以为客户提供准备证词时的支持性功能。最后，作为咨询角色，心理健康专家可以帮助移民律师提高他们安全有效地从庇护申请人那里获取创伤叙述的能力，并增强他们对与寻求庇护者一起工作时产生的替代性创伤和倦怠症状的适应能力。
