Women living in direct provision stressed because of living conditions and future uncertainty, study finds

Women living in direct provision experience a high level of stress from their living conditions and uncertainty about their future.

That is the finding of a study carried out by a migrant women's network with the support of the HSE which interviewed 40 women.

Participants told researchers they feel powerless and have some difficulty accessing mental health supports.

Akidwa director Salome Mbugua said living under an uncertain future is a huge difficulty.

"Most of them spoke about them not knowing what is happening in the next minute," she said.

"Some of the women who are in that process spoke about being not sure of whether they would be woken up during the night for deportation.

"Not knowing where you're going to, or how you're moving on with your life, and actually some of them would have been...in the system for four years."