[Case reports of devitalization because of depression. Refugee children seeking asylum develop life-threatening losses of function].

Five children were admitted and treated at the department of child psychiatry in Stockholm due to severe generalised losses of functions without underlying physical illness. They were all from asylum seeking refugee families with severe traumatic experience in their homelands and a prevailing state of hopelessness, helplessness and unimpressionable time perspective in Sweden. Result of treatment was very good when the life circumstances could be recuperated and particularly the obviously disease maintaining symbiotic despair of the mother could be abolished. The specific expression of psychic ill health in refugee children described here has not been systematically reported and this study indicates some practical aspects of treating the state as well as preventing its development.