Ugeskrift for Laeger
Volume 171, Issue 12, 2009, Pages 981-984

The effect of length of stay and number of relocations on asylum-seeking children's mental health - secondary publication [Betydning af opholdstid og antal flytninger på asylbørns psykiske helbred - sekundærpublikation] (Article)

Nielsen S.S.* , Nørredam M. , Christiansen K.L. , Obel C. , Hilden J. , Krasnik A.
  • a Københavns Universitet, Institut for Folkesundhedsvidenskab, Afdeling for Sundhedstjenesteforskning, Denmark
  • b Københavns Universitet, Institut for Folkesundhedsvidenskab, Afdeling for Sundhedstjenesteforskning, Denmark
  • c Københavns Universitet, Institut for Folkesundhedsvidenskab, Afdeling for Sundhedstjenesteforskning, Denmark
  • d Københavns Universitet, Institut for Folkesundhedsvidenskab, Afdeling for Sundhedstjenesteforskning, Denmark
  • e Københavns Universitet, Institut for Folkesundhedsvidenskab, Afdeling for Sundhedstjenesteforskning, Denmark
  • f Københavns Universitet, Institut for Folkesundhedsvidenskab, Afdeling for Sundhedstjenesteforskning, Denmark

Abstract

Among asylum-seeking children aged 4-16 years living in the asylum centres managed by the Danish Red Cross in 2006, we investigated mental health in relation to length of stay and number of relocations. Mental health was evaluated using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). We found that children who had been asylum-seeking for more than one year had an increased risk of having mental difficulties (odds ratio 5.5; 95% confidence interval 1.8-16.3); four or more relocations in the asylum system were also associated with a higher risk of mental problems (odds ratio 3,0; 1,4-6,7).

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

Community Mental Health Centers red cross refugee psychological aspect mental health human Refugees Denmark length of stay ethnology Mental Disorders Cross-Sectional Studies mental disease cross-sectional study Humans Adolescent male preschool child female risk factor Risk Factors Child, Preschool Child Welfare questionnaire Article Questionnaires migration Emigration and Immigration Child community mental health center
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-63349100622&partnerID=40&md5=907f68da6cebd9f24bf1e745b2c993c1
ISSN: 00415782
Cited by: 3
Original Language: Danish