Providing Mental Health Services and Psychiatric Care to Immigration Detainees: What Tort Law Requires (original) (raw)
Related papers
Seeking Asylum In Australia Immigration Detention Human rights & Mental Health Care
Objective: The article aims to discuss the impact of mandatory detention and human rights violations on the mental health of asylum seekers and the implications for psychiatrists and health professionals. Conclusions: Advocacy for human rights and engagement in social debate are core ethical and professional responsibilities. Clinicians need to maintain a focus on ethical obligations.
The impact of immigration detention on the mental health of refugees and asylum seekers
Journal of Traumatic Stress, 2023
Background: The number of asylum seekers, refugees and internally displaced people worldwide has increased dramatically over the past 5 years. Many countries are continuing to resort to detaining asylum seekers and other migrants, despite concerns that this may be harmful. In light of the considerable body of recent research, this review aims to update and expand on a 2009 systematic review on the mental health consequences of detention on adult, adolescent and child immigration detainees, which found (on the basis on 9 studies) that there was consistent evidence that immigration detention had adverse effects on mental health. Methods: Three databases were searched using key terms relating to immigration detention and mental health. Electronic searches were supplemented by reference screening. Studies were included if they were quantitative, included individuals detained for immigration purposes, reported on mental health problems and were published in peer-reviewed journals. Two reviewers independently screened papers for eligibility, and a further two reviewers completed quality appraisals for included studies. Results: Twenty-six studies (21 of which were not included in the 2009 review) reporting on a total of 2099 participants were included in the review. Overall, these studies indicated that adults, adolescents and children experienced high levels of mental health problems. Anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder were most commonly reported both during and following detention. Higher symptom scores were found in detained compared to non-detained refugees. In addition (and more clearly than was evident in 2009), detention duration was positively associated with severity of mental symptoms. Greater trauma exposure prior to detention was also associated with symptom severity. Conclusions: The literature base reviewed in this paper consistently demonstrated severe mental health consequences amongst detainees across a wide range of settings and jurisdictions. There is a pressing need for the proper consideration of mental health and consequent risk of detention-related harm in decisions surrounding detention as well as for improved care for individuals within detention facilities. Recommendations based on these findings are presented, including increased focus on the identification of vulnerability and on minimising the duration of detention.
The impact of immigration detention on the mental health of asylum seekers
2007
Background: The number of asylum seekers, refugees and internally displaced people worldwide has increased dramatically over the past 5 years. Many countries are continuing to resort to detaining asylum seekers and other migrants, despite concerns that this may be harmful. In light of the considerable body of recent research, this review aims to update and expand on a 2009 systematic review on the mental health consequences of detention on adult, adolescent and child immigration detainees, which found (on the basis on 9 studies) that there was consistent evidence that immigration detention had adverse effects on mental health. Methods: Three databases were searched using key terms relating to immigration detention and mental health. Electronic searches were supplemented by reference screening. Studies were included if they were quantitative, included individuals detained for immigration purposes, reported on mental health problems and were published in peer-reviewed journals. Two reviewers independently screened papers for eligibility, and a further two reviewers completed quality appraisals for included studies. Results: Twenty-six studies (21 of which were not included in the 2009 review) reporting on a total of 2099 participants were included in the review. Overall, these studies indicated that adults, adolescents and children experienced high levels of mental health problems. Anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder were most commonly reported both during and following detention. Higher symptom scores were found in detained compared to non-detained refugees. In addition (and more clearly than was evident in 2009), detention duration was positively associated with severity of mental symptoms. Greater trauma exposure prior to detention was also associated with symptom severity. Conclusions: The literature base reviewed in this paper consistently demonstrated severe mental health consequences amongst detainees across a wide range of settings and jurisdictions. There is a pressing need for the proper consideration of mental health and consequent risk of detention-related harm in decisions surrounding detention as well as for improved care for individuals within detention facilities. Recommendations based on these findings are presented, including increased focus on the identification of vulnerability and on minimising the duration of detention.
2019
The experience report refers to the author’s work, for six months, as a psychiatrist for Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders – MSF) in a refugee detention center in Nauru, an island country in Oceania. The report provides descriptions of the field work and theoretical reflections. The author discusses the issue of suicide and the specificity of such issue for the group of refugees and asylum seekers attended, as well as the discovery of a new clinical diagnosis called resignation syndrome. It’s also sought to reflect on the role of mental health professionals in dealing with deprivation of liberty and discusses ethical challenges experienced in the field, regarding Australia’s refugee policy, its economic importance to Nauru and the impact on the refugee population; obstacles encountered until MSF team was expelled by the local government on October 5th, 2018.
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 2004
Objective: This paper reports the clinical, practical and ethical issues arising in the assessment of 10 consecutive referrals from a remote Immigration Reception and Processing Centre to a child and adolescent mental health service (CAMHS) between Febr uary and August 2002. Method: The 16 adults and 20 children (age range 11 months to 17 years) were comprehensively assessed by allied health clinicians and child psychiatrists. All children were also assessed b y the statutory child protection agency. Results: There were very high levels of mood disturbance and post-traumatic symptoms in this population. All children had at least one parent with psychiatric illness. Of the 10 children aged 6-17 years, all (100%) fulfilled criteria for both posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depression with suicidal ideation. Eight children (80%), including three preadolescents, had made significant attempts at self harm. Seven (70%) had symptoms of an anxiety disorder and half repor ted persistent severe somatic symptoms. The majority (80%) of preschool-age children were identified with developmental delay or emotional disturbance. Few clinically based recommendations were implemented. Conclusions: Very high levels of psychopathology were found in child and adult asylum seekers. Much was attributable to traumatic exper iences in detention and, for children, the impact of indefinite detention on their caregivers. Implications: Multiple obstacles to adequate service provision are identified. Adequate clinical intervention and care was not possible. The impact on involved clinicians is discussed.