A thesis of clinical research and practice: Part A: Refugee Mental Health: A Critical Discourse Analysis of the Parliamentary Debates on the passage of the UK Illegal Migration Act; Part B: Asylum-seeking Hongkongers' Experiences with the UK Mental Health Services; Part C: Summary of clinical practice and assessments

It has been recognised by current literature that refugees suffer from poorer mental health compared to individuals of the host countries. However, they face significant barriers to accessing support, which often has an intrinsic relationship with government policies relevant to housing, health and social care. Part A of this portfolio presents a critical discourse analysis of how the Illegal Migration Act was passed in UK Parliament; a law that has been criticised by healthcare professionals and refugee groups. The results suggest parliamentary debates involving negative representation of refugees could have a top-down impact on their mental health. Clinical implications and recommendations are outlined, with an aim to inform better mental health support and more inclusive legislative debates in the future. Part B presents a reflexive thematic analysis focusing on asylum-seeking Hongkongers’ experiences with the UK mental health services. The analysis suggests that the intersectionality of multiple social identities of participants contributed to mental health distress, which are reinforced by existing barriers to accessing support. The findings highlight participants’ considerations when using mental health services, which informs better support for this population, implications to clinical practice in the public and charitable sectors.