Asylum: Refugees and Mental Health
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Huddersfield
Department Name: School of Arts and Humanities
Abstract
In the First World War, Belgian refugees labelled with melancholia, anxiety and emotional disturbance were documented in British medical records and admitted to British asylums. Until now, their life histories and migratory journeys have remained untold. Asylum: Refugees and Mental Health is an international research project which aims to give voice to refugees' experience of mental ill-health and make visible the emotional impacts of displacement. Modern-day statistics show that asylum seekers and refugees are more likely to suffer mental distress and less likely to receive support than the general population. Humanitarian agencies and mental-health professionals stress the importance of individual stories in fully understanding the vulnerabilities caused by displacement. While the stories of the 250,000 Belgians who arrived into Britain in 1914 - 1918 are being made known through public histories (particularly the Tracing the Belgian Refugees database project https://belgianrefugees.leeds.ac.uk/), the emotional impacts of displacement and re-settlement are not. Our project raises timely questions about the relationship between refugee dispersal programmes, sponsorship and well-being. Using newly-available institutional case notes, material culture and asylum photography, we have a unique opportunity to uncover the affective histories of refugees and to challenge the power dynamics of labelling and categorisation. Crucially, we will examine the life histories of Belgian refugees in this period to consider refugee wellbeing as an ongoing question of public mental health.
The project is led by a UK-based Principal Investigator and Co-Investigators in the UK and Hollandwho will pursue this new research agenda with partner organisations which themselves have direct links to the history of migration and mental health, and work with contemporary refugee service-users. This includes the London Metropolitan Archives, Alexandra Palace and the Mental Health Museum in the UK, and In Flanders Fields Museum in Belgium. In collaboration with our partners' community volunteer programmes at the LMA and IFFM, we will extend and refashion the Tracing the Belgian Refugees database to centre the institutional records and emotional histories of Belgian refugees in British institutions such as workhouses and asylums for online audiences. Our publications and public engagement activities will use these resources to inquire into the negotiation of mental health and care in the case histories Belgian refugees in the UK and Belgium. Through co-produced activities with our partners, our research will support an exhibition designed with refugee service users, and a theatre programme for schools. This reflects a demand from within these organisations to develop creative and person-centred approaches to their public engagement programmes to better reflect the complexity and diversity of affective experiences and perspectives among their audiences and communities. This deepening awareness of the emotional history of refugeedom has significant policy implications for both the heritage and archival sectors' classification and representation of refugee history, and government policy on contemporary refugee sponsorship schemes under the banner of 'Homes for Ukraine'.
The project is led by a UK-based Principal Investigator and Co-Investigators in the UK and Hollandwho will pursue this new research agenda with partner organisations which themselves have direct links to the history of migration and mental health, and work with contemporary refugee service-users. This includes the London Metropolitan Archives, Alexandra Palace and the Mental Health Museum in the UK, and In Flanders Fields Museum in Belgium. In collaboration with our partners' community volunteer programmes at the LMA and IFFM, we will extend and refashion the Tracing the Belgian Refugees database to centre the institutional records and emotional histories of Belgian refugees in British institutions such as workhouses and asylums for online audiences. Our publications and public engagement activities will use these resources to inquire into the negotiation of mental health and care in the case histories Belgian refugees in the UK and Belgium. Through co-produced activities with our partners, our research will support an exhibition designed with refugee service users, and a theatre programme for schools. This reflects a demand from within these organisations to develop creative and person-centred approaches to their public engagement programmes to better reflect the complexity and diversity of affective experiences and perspectives among their audiences and communities. This deepening awareness of the emotional history of refugeedom has significant policy implications for both the heritage and archival sectors' classification and representation of refugee history, and government policy on contemporary refugee sponsorship schemes under the banner of 'Homes for Ukraine'.
Organisations
- University of Huddersfield (Lead Research Organisation)
- Alexandra Palace (Collaboration, Project Partner)
- SOUTH WEST YORKSHIRE PARTNERSHIP NHS FOUNDATION TRUST (Collaboration)
- London Metropolitan Archives (Collaboration, Project Partner)
- In Flanders Fields Museum (Collaboration, Project Partner)
- Mental Health Museum (Project Partner)
Related Projects
| Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Award Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AH/X011372/1 | 14/04/2024 | 31/10/2024 | £770,356 | ||
| AH/X011372/2 | Transfer | AH/X011372/1 | 01/11/2024 | 13/04/2027 | £649,531 |
| Description | Alexandra Palace |
| Organisation | Alexandra Palace |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | To use the project research to shape outreach events. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Building capacity for impact and engagement activities. Agree stakeholders and working with local schools. |
| Impact | Ongoing |
| Start Year | 2024 |
| Description | In Flanders Fields |
| Organisation | In Flanders Fields Museum |
| Country | Belgium |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Database development, research input into exhibitions. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Providing volunteer activity. Providing vehicles for impact and engagement in Belgium. |
| Impact | Database development |
| Start Year | 2024 |
| Description | Mental Health Museum |
| Organisation | South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | To shape the development of impact and engagement including museum exhibitons. |
| Collaborator Contribution | To help us with some of the ethics of public history and to showcase stories from the research with exhibitions and other outreach. |
| Impact | Input into agreements with TLA (formerly LMA). Outreach work with refugees and service users. |
| Start Year | 2024 |
| Description | The London Archive |
| Organisation | London Metropolitan Archives |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | The project will help the London Archive (formerly LMA) reach new audiences. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Access to materials, volunteering opportunities linked to the research, hosting events. |
| Impact | Agreement on the use of materials, launch event. |
| Start Year | 2024 |
| Description | Asylum: Refugees and Mental Health Launch Meeting |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | This was a launch discussion that included member of the project team along with representatives from the London Archive, the Mental Health Museum, Alexandra Palace and In Flanders Field Museum. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | IFF Database Discussions |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | This was a discussion about the Tracing the Belgian Refugees database and how it might be used. This will have large implications for the project. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024,2025 |
| Description | London Archives Agreement |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | This was a meeting to plan the limit of how archival resources might and might not be used. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024,2025 |
| Description | Project Meeting - Alexandra Palace |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Meetings with the Ally Pally team to shape schools content |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024,2025 |