Asylum hotels and mental health
Claudia meets an asylum seeker who lived in a hotel for more than a year and a psychologist whose research is bringing evidence to the impact on mental health.
More than 32,000 asylum seekers are being housed in hotels in the UK, the latest figures show.
There's been intense political debate in recent weeks focused on the cost – both financially for the government and for local communities.
But what about the cost to the mental health of those living in the hotels?
Today we’re going to hear from an asylum seeker who spent more than a year in a hotel in London, and we’ll examine the evidence for the impact on people’s mental health with clinical psychologist Dr Janelle Spira.
Dr Peter Olusoga, senior lecturer in psychology at Sheffield Hallam University, joins us in the studio with the latest research, including a study that raises the prospect of using a common acne drug to cut risk of schizophrenia and new evidence on the psychology of losing.
And what if we could mentally reframe winter to make it more enjoyable? We get some tips from clinical psychologist Dr Stephanie Fitzgerald.
Presenter: Claudia Hammond
Producer: Gerry Holt
Content editor: Ilan Goodman
Production coordinator: Jana Holesworth
Studio engineer: Tim Heffer
Details of organisations offering support with mental health, or feelings of despair, are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline.
Last on
Broadcasts
- Tue 11 Nov 2025 09:30Âé¶¹Éç Radio 4
- Wed 12 Nov 2025 21:30Âé¶¹Éç Radio 4
Podcast
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All in the Mind
The show with the latest evidence on psychology, mental health and neuroscience.
