Psychosocial vulnerabilities in newly arrived asylum seekers to the Greek island of Lesvos: a retrospective cross-sectional analysis

Background: Kara Tepe Registration and Identification Camp on Lesvos Island in Greece is a controlled access facility with people in various stages of the asylum procedure housed in tents, rub halls and containers in poor living conditions for prolonged periods of time. However, data are lacking on psychosocial vulnerabilities and experiences of these populations, particularly the growing number of single women residing in these settings.We aimed to explore psychosocial needs among this incamped population. Methods:We did a retrospective cross-sectional chart review of socio-demographic and psychosocial vulnerabilities of all migrants (>18 years of age) who were detained in Kara Tepe between 1st February 2021 and 31st January 2023. Data were extracted from the Knack Online Database used by INTERSOS HELLAS. Results: 701 individuals were referred to the clinic for psychosocial work-up over a 2 year follow-up period, of which 165 subsequently received psychological support after initial health assessments. The majority (92.0%) of the cohort were women who were single, most from Afghanistan, Somalia, Congo, and Syria, with a range of medical and social vulnerabilities. 19.8% of the population had been subjected to gender-based violence including in their country of origin, during the migration route to Lesvos, or while on the island of Lesvos. The most common GBV incident reported was rape (48.9%) followed by physical assault (23.7%) and non-penetrative sexual assault (21.5%). 7% of the population presented with suicidal, or self-harming, behaviour, of which 26.2% had attempted suicide. Conclusion: This study highlights for the first time the stark range of vulnerabilities experienced by predominantly single women in camp settings in Greece. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. ### Funding Statement This study did not receive any funding ### Author Declarations I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained. Yes The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below: INTERSOS. Humanitarian Organization Onlus Ethics Committee I confirm that all necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived, and that any patient/participant/sample identifiers included were not known to anyone (e.g., hospital staff, patients or participants themselves) outside the research group so cannot be used to identify individuals. Yes I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance). Yes I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines, such as any relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material, if applicable. Yes All data produced in the present study are available upon reasonable request to the authors