The American journal of medicine
-
Review Case Reports
Torture Survivors And Asylum: Legal, Medical, and Psychological Perspectives.
Torture occurs worldwide. Survivors seeking asylum are detained and must complete a complicated legal process to prove a "well-founded fear of persecution" if returned to their home countries. Forensic evaluations guided by the United Nations Istanbul Protocol increase asylum grant rates. ⋯ Practices derived from cultural factors and traumatized individuals' feedback enhance management of survivors. Individual and group psychotherapy provide modest proven benefit, but assessment is limited. Physicians and psychotherapists should coordinate care.