What bias do I have ? And how is it an ignorant thing to say ? Refugees are a political issue I mean yes you can help them with mental health but I still think that they are more of a political topic than a mental health issues topic.
We all have biases, mate, but to get from where our discussion was to 'its a political issue' is some sort of leap.
So...refugees are a political issue, yes. But they are (obviously I would have thought) not ONLY a political issue. The very reason people are refugees is that they have faced trauma, displacement and hardship in their lives.
I've grown up in a society where I can get healthcare, education and a relative environment of safety. Many of these people have come from environments of war, poverty, and distress. These things impact on their mental and physical health (in general terms).
My wife has spent her entire professional life caring for and dealing with people with mental health, and since moving into forensic roles many years ago, more specifically people who have come into contact with our legal system. She has almost no interest in the politics involved, apart from a strong opinion that mental health services are underfunded.
However, if your response to me suggesting that refugees have high incidents of mental health issues is some sort of political comment, I don't know what to tell you other than to stop and think before commenting.
This short article presents a summary of the research on the mental health and help-seeking behaviours of refugees and what works to support them.
aifs.gov.au
Reducing refugees to political capital is something politicians do. We don't all need to be so incapable of walking and chewing gum at the same time.