''They are severely depressed and anxious, and their capacity to make decisions, particularly with regard to the future, is affected.'' Women in Detention, The Vietnamese in Hong Kong: A Women's Perspective on Detention was compiled by the Community and Family Services International (CFSI) and the International Catholic Child Bureau based in Geneva. It is to be released this week.

It says 75 per cent of those interviewed suffer trauma from tear-gassing, 70 per cent from weapons searches, 60 per cent from demonstrations, although only two per cent claimed to suffer from sexual assault or abuse.

More than 90 per cent were concerned about the future, while 89 per cent claimed to suffer stress from the lack of sanitary napkins, 75 per cent from inadequate medical treatment and 73 per cent were stressed from a lack of facilities in the huts.

The survey focused on five camps, with 1,065 females, aged between 18 and 70, taking part.

One of the report's authors, Maryanne Loughry, who is a CFSI trainer, said some of the problems in the camps were worse than the women would admit.

''The women are not very easily going to sit down and say my husband beats me,'' she said.

She described the women's plight as being like a ''rock with water dripping on it, so it slowly erodes away''.

''They are part of a whole system that debilitates them. It impairs their capacity to make decisions. They are depressed and anxious.'' Ms Loughry said there had been rapes, but the numbers were low and were quickly reported.

''There is not raping and pillaging in the camps. They are just fearful of what could happen.'' The report shows the women as being nervous, timid and subservient to their husbands and other men in the camps.

''The bleak picture demands they be enabled to resolve the impasse so evident in their inability to reach a decision about their future,'' the document said, ''while recognising the effects of detention on themselves and their families.'' The women said they could never feel safe, citing marital problems, sexual abuse and gang problems.

''The main cause of the security problems, specifically for women, was the prison-like camp management.

''They described the 'social ills' within this structure as becoming increasingly worse.

''They saw that the people in the camp were living in a state of fear, intimidation, depression and potential conflict. Women and children have always been the victims under these circumstances.'' The women said they were not respected by the men and were humiliated, teased and forced to ''engage in sexual relationships''.

''Overall the women described themselves as heavily stressed and having to endure a lot of suffering,'' the report said.

''They described feeling ashamed and having a very low self-esteem.'' The report cited unidentified women who had lost all their hopes and dreams, of having no personal space or privacy, and of constant anxiety for their families.

''Women with children are more affected and the extent to which their children experience negative events is a contributing factor in determining their emotional well-being.

''They are concerned not only for the effect of the violence that characterises life in detention, but also on how it influences their children.'' The report concludes the negative effect on their well-being is due to being powerless and vulnerable.

''They are not the perpetrators, but the victims of abuse, intimidation and neglect of their needs and concerns as women and mothers.

''In this sense it is important the community understands the severe effects on both women and children if the situation remains unchanged.'' The women described the conditions in the detention centres as poor.

''As a result of the poor hygiene there were often outbreaks of conjunctivitis, fever and diarrhoea and many of the women had skin diseases and gynaecological problems.'' The report also said the women believed many of the social problems, such as alcoholism and gambling, resulted from the people being left idle.

''The combination of joblessness and overcrowded conditions accounted for many of the disputes, some of which have resulted in stabbings and murders,'' it said.

''The women believed that working would help to lessen stress and tensions. It would help them feel their life in detention was more meaningful.'' They said they were also worried about forced repatriation, which they feared would end in violence.

''The security management in the camps was thought to be bad and the CSD [Correctional Services Department] could not guarantee their safety.

''They saw that the control in the camps was not strict enough to prevent trouble makers in the camps and they saw that in this environment there were more and more people likely to engage in gambling, alcohol making and drug taking.'' About 1,960 China Vietnamese illegal immigrants have entered Hong Kong this year, compounding the problem of the more than 40,000 Vietnamese in the camps.

On the report's findings, Ms Loughry said: ''Something like this is a helpful tool. It has helped us to stand back and look at the situation.'' She said the CFSI does not want major changes introduced that encourage people to stay, but the agency would like to tackle some of the pressures raised by the women.

The report will be passed on to relevant parties and will also be given to overseas agencies for use in refugee camps in other parts of the world, including Bosnia-Herzegovina.