Kimberly A Ehntholt1, David Trickey2, Jean Harris Hendriks1, Hannah Chambers3, Mark Scott4, William Yule5. 1. 1 Traumatic Stress Clinic, Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK. 2. 2 Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, London, UK. 3. 3 Gatwick Detainees Welfare Group, London, UK. 4. 4 Bhatt Murphy Solicitors, London, UK. 5. 5 Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, UK.
Abstract
AIM: To investigate whether the mental health of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) was negatively affected by having their ages disputed and being detained. METHOD: Participants within this cross-sectional study were 35 UASC, aged between 13 and 17 when they were detained. Some years later, a team of child mental health professionals interviewed them to assess their current mental health and to determine, as far as possible, the impact that having their age disputed and being detained may have had on their mental health. The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID-IV), Reactions of Adolescents to Traumatic Stress (RATS), Stressful Life Events (SLE) and Detention Experiences Checklist-UK version (DEC-UK) were administered. RESULTS: The vast majority of UASC reported being negatively affected. Based on diagnostic interviews using the SCID-IV, self-report measures and contemporaneous records, the professionals reported a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) developing in 29% ( n = 10), PTSD exacerbated in 51% ( n = 18), major depressive disorder (MDD) developing in 23% ( n = 8) and MDD exacerbated in 40% ( n = 14). A total of 3 years post-detention, 89% ( n = 31) met diagnostic criteria for psychiatric disorders and reported high PTSD symptoms. CONCLUSION: There was a high prevalence of psychiatric disorder. The additional stress of age dispute procedures and detention was judged to have been harmful.
AIM: To investigate whether the mental health of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) was negatively affected by having their ages disputed and being detained. METHOD:Participants within this cross-sectional study were 35 UASC, aged between 13 and 17 when they were detained. Some years later, a team of child mental health professionals interviewed them to assess their current mental health and to determine, as far as possible, the impact that having their age disputed and being detained may have had on their mental health. The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID-IV), Reactions of Adolescents to Traumatic Stress (RATS), Stressful Life Events (SLE) and Detention Experiences Checklist-UK version (DEC-UK) were administered. RESULTS: The vast majority of UASC reported being negatively affected. Based on diagnostic interviews using the SCID-IV, self-report measures and contemporaneous records, the professionals reported a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) developing in 29% ( n = 10), PTSD exacerbated in 51% ( n = 18), major depressive disorder (MDD) developing in 23% ( n = 8) and MDD exacerbated in 40% ( n = 14). A total of 3 years post-detention, 89% ( n = 31) met diagnostic criteria for psychiatric disorders and reported high PTSD symptoms. CONCLUSION: There was a high prevalence of psychiatric disorder. The additional stress of age dispute procedures and detention was judged to have been harmful.
Authors: Rochelle L Frounfelker; Diana Miconi; Jordan Farrar; Mohamad Adam Brooks; Cécile Rousseau; Theresa S Betancourt Journal: Annu Rev Public Health Date: 2020-01-07 Impact factor: 21.870
Authors: Edgar Höhne; Anna Swantje van der Meer; Inge Kamp-Becker; Hanna Christiansen Journal: Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry Date: 2020-11-09 Impact factor: 5.349