Psychiatric status of asylum seeker families held for a protracted period in a remote detention centre in Australia (original) (raw)
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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.
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.
Social science & medicine, 2010
The aim of the present research was to examine the experience of extended periods of immigration detention from the perspective of previously detained asylum seekers and to identify the consequences of these experiences for life after release. The study sample comprised seventeen adult refugees (sixteen male and one female; average age 42 years), who had been held in immigration detention funded by the Australian government for on average three years and two months. They were interviewed on average three years and eight months following their release and had been granted permanent visa status or such status was imminent. The study employed a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods to explore detention and post-detention experiences, and mental health some years after release. The qualitative component consisted of semi-structured interviews exploring psychological well-being, daily life, significant events, relationships, and ways of coping throughout these periods. This...
Mental health implications of detaining asylum seekers: systematic review
The British Journal of Psychiatry, 2009
Background The number of asylum seekers, refugees and internally displaced people worldwide is rising. Western countries are using increasingly restrictive policies, including the detention of asylum seekers, and there is concern that this is harmful. Aims To investigate mental health outcomes among adult, child and adolescent immigration detainees. Method A systematic review was conducted of studies investigating the impact of immigration detention on the mental health of children, adolescents and adults, identified by a systematic search of databases and a supplementary manual search of references. Results Ten studies were identified. All reported high levels of mental health problems in detainees. Anxiety, depression and posttraumatic stress disorder were commonly reported, as were self-harm and suicidal ideation. Time in detention was positively associated with severity of distress. There is evidence for an initial improvement in mental health occurring subsequent to release, al...
Psychiatric symptoms associated with brief detention of adult asylum seekers in Canada
Canadian journal of psychiatry. Revue canadienne de psychiatrie, 2013
To examine the association between brief detention and psychiatric symptom levels among adult asylum seekers. The Harvard Trauma Questionnaire and the Hopkins Symptoms Checklist-25 were used to assess psychiatric symptoms and premigration trauma exposure in 122 detained and 66 nondetained adult asylum seekers in Montreal and Toronto. After a mean detention of 31 days, the proportion of asylum seekers scoring above clinical cutpoints was significantly higher in the detained than the nondetained group for posttraumatic stress (χ² = 4.117, df = 1, P = 0.04), depression (χ² = 13.813, df = 1, P < 0.001), and anxiety (χ² = 4.567, df = 1, P = 0.03) symptoms. Hierarchical multiple regression models showed that posttraumatic stress, depression, and anxiety symptom levels were significantly higher among detained asylum seekers than among the nondetained comparison group, taking into account previous trauma and demographics. Incremental F was significant for the addition of detention status...
Seeking refuge, losing hope: parents and children in immigration detention
Australasian Psychiatry, 2002
Parents and children in immigration detention are often vulnerable to mental health problems before they reach Australia. Experiences in prolonged detention add to their burden of trauma, which has an impact not only on the individual adults and children, but on the family process itself. Immigration detention profoundly undermines the parental role, renders the parent impotent and leaves the child without protection or comfort in already unpredictable surroundings where basic needs for safe play and education are unmet. This potentially exposes the child to physical and emotional neglect in a degrading and hostile environment and puts children at high risk of the developmental psychopathology that follows exposure to violence and ongoing parental despair. Psychiatrists have a role in advocating for appropriate treatment of these traumatized and vulnerable parents and children.
Psychiatry, Psychology and Law, 2006
The impact of detention on psychological status, and quality of life was examined in a sample of 150 former refugee detainees from the Woomera Detention Centre now living in the Australian community. Detainees completed a Psychological status inventory including the Truncated Firestone Assessment of Self-destructive Thoughts (T-FAST),the Quality of Life Inventory, the Suicidal Ideation Scale, and the Profile of Mood States,. Former detainees reported their current status; and retrospectively reported their status while detained.