Associations between memory loss and trauma in US asylum seekers: A retrospective review of medico-legal affidavits
Author(s): Massachusetts General Hospital, Physicians for Human Rights
Category: Working with Clients
Subcategory: Trauma
Type: Informational Document
The
U.S.
immigration
system
mandates
that
persons
seeking
asylum
prove
their
persecution
claim
is
credible
and
their
fear
of
returning
home
is
well-founded.
However,
this
population
represents
a
highly
trauma-exposed
group,
with
neuropsychiatric
symptoms
consequent
to
prior
torture
or
maltreatment
that
may
interfere
with
cognitive
function
and
their
ability
to
recall
their
trauma.
These
memory
lapses
may
be
incorrectly
perceived
by
asylum
adjudicators
as
indicators
of
dishonesty
and
jeopardize
the
person’s
credibility
and
asylum
claim.
Our
retrospective
mixed
methods
study
seeks
to
present
associations
between
trauma
and
memory
loss
in
a
sample
of
persons
seeking
asylum
to
the
U.S.
and
describe
how
memory
impairments
manifest
in
this
trauma-exposed
population.
