scholarly journals Drug use and criminality among unaccompanied refugee minors: a review of the literature

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 93-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna-Karin Ivert ◽  
Mia-Maria Magnusson
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
At Risk ◽  
Substance Abuse ◽  
Drug Use ◽  
International Research ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Unaccompanied Refugee Minors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Refugee Minors

Purpose Organisations working with children have acknowledged that unaccompanied refugee minors (URM) across Europe are exposed to environments and situations that put them at risk for becoming addicted to drugs or becoming involved in crime. The purpose of this paper is to study an examination of existing international research concerning URM and of whether, and if so how, issues relating to drug use and criminality among these children are discussed in the international literature. Design/methodology/approach A literature review was conducted using PsycINFO, PubMed, Sociological abstracts and ERIC databases, which together cover the social and behavioural science and also medicine. Findings Findings from the present review show that the issues of drug abuse and criminality among URM are rarely acknowledged in the international research literature. When the occurrence of substance abuse and/or criminality is discussed, it is often in relation to mental health problems and in terms of self-medication, i.e. that alcohol or drugs are used by the URM to cope with painful experiences or mental health problems, and also with the challenges of integrating into a new society, difficulties finding work, unsuitable living conditions and a lack of social support. Originality/value This review shows that several researchers have emphasised that untreated mental health problems, stressful living conditions and a lack of support and control might put these children at risk for substance abuse and criminality, and this suggests a need for further research in this area.

scholarly journals Different Patterns of Mental Health Problems in Unaccompanied Refugee Minors (URM): A Sequential Mixed Method Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernd Hanewald ◽  
Michael Knipper ◽  
Werner Fleck ◽  
Jörn Pons-Kühnemann ◽  
Eric Hahn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mixed Method ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Mixed Method Study ◽  
Unaccompanied Refugee Minors ◽  
Refugee Minors

Is the Refugee Health Screener a Useful Tool when Screening 14- to 18-Year-Old Refugee Adolescents for Emotional Distress?

2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (Special_Issue_1) ◽  
pp. i141-i150
Author(s):  
Anna Sarkadi ◽  
Anna Bjärtå ◽  
Anna Leiler ◽  
Raziye Salari
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Refugee Health ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Unaccompanied Refugee Minors ◽  
Refugee Minors

Abstract The high number of asylum seekers in Sweden has highlighted the need for structured assessment tools to screen for refugee mental health problems in clinical services. We examined the utility of the Refugee Health Screener (RHS) in refugee adolescents, aged 14–18, attending routine clinical examinations or staying in group homes/refugee centres (N = 29). Participants completed a survey, including the RHS, administered through iPads in their native language. The RHS showed excellent internal consistency (α = 0.96) and correlated moderately with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (r = 0.41, p = 0.025). Mean scores and prevalence rates were comparable to a study of adult refugees in Sweden. Unaccompanied refugee minors (URMs) scored significantly higher (M = 32.0, SD = 12.9) compared to youth staying with their families (M = 7.5, SD = 8.2, p < 0.001, d = 2.27). Our findings confirm that the RHS can be used in the adolescent population in Sweden. These findings moreover suggest that URMs are a particularly vulnerable group with a large burden of mental health problems. In 2015, 162,877 persons sought asylum in Sweden, 35,369 of whom were unaccompanied refugee minors (URMs) and another 35,015 children in families (Swedish Migration Agency, 2017). Most URMs (86 per cent) are boys, mainly from Afghanistan, Syria, Somalia and Eritrea, whereas children in families (accompanied refugee minors) more often come from Syria and Iraq with an equal gender distribution. During the asylum process, lasting up to 30 months, children have access to free education and health care. URMs are under the care of the social services and are assigned a legal guardian until they turn 18. Adults are entitled to acute health care and housing but cannot work and have no access to studies. If granted asylum, the person/family is assigned to a municipality that assumes responsibility for them. Thus, on top of adverse events before and during migration, the asylum and resettlement process per se involves stressors and a lack of control for refugees, which increases the risk of developing mental health problems.

Substance misuse, mental health problems and recurrent child maltreatment

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne-Marie Laslett ◽  
Robin Room ◽  
Paul Dietze
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Drug Use ◽  
Child Maltreatment ◽  
Child Protection ◽  
Substance Misuse ◽  
Alcohol Misuse ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Drug Misuse ◽  
Content Type

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to determine whether the diagnosis of both carers’ mental health problems and substance misuse increase the likelihood of recurrent child maltreatment over and above the individual effects of these factors. Design/methodology/approach – Retrospective secondary data analysis of 29,455 children where child maltreatment was confirmed in the Victorian child protection system between 2001 and 2005. Recorded mental health, alcohol misuse and other drug misuse variables were entered into multivariate logistic regression models predicting repeated child maltreatment. Interactions and a range of other child, carer and socio-economic factors were included in these models. Findings – Carer alcohol misuse, other drug misuse and mental ill health all independently predicted recurrent child maltreatment. The presence of both other drug misuse and mental ill health increased the likelihood that recurrent child abuse was recorded over the likelihood that mental health alone predicted recurrent child maltreatment, and while alcohol misuse had an effect when there was no mental health condition recorded it did not have an additional effect when there was evidence of mental health problems. Research limitations/implications – Children in families where there is both mental health problems and other drug use problems are at greater risk of repeated maltreatment than where there is evidence of mental health problems or other drug use alone. Where there was evidence of carer mental health problems, alcohol misuse did not add to this likelihood. However, the effect of mental health and other drug use was similar in size to the effect of alcohol misuse alone. Originality/value – These findings add to understandings of the effects of co-occurring mental health problems and substance misuse on recurrent child maltreatment and differentiate between cases that involve alcohol and other drug misuse.

A review of risk factors associated with suicide in adults with intellectual disability

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 302-308 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma Mollison ◽  
Eddie Chaplin ◽  
Lisa Underwood ◽  
Jane McCarthy
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Risk Factors ◽  
At Risk ◽  
Intellectual Disability ◽  
General Population ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Cognitive Capacity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Associated

Purpose – Suicide is one of the top three leading causes of death amongst those aged between 15 and 44 years; and tenth leading cause of death in the wider population. The base rates of suicide, suicide attempts and suicide-related behaviours are comparably low in the general population with between 17 and 68 per cent of individuals who successfully commit suicide having made a previous attempt to take their own life. As recently as the 1980's it was still a widely held belief that individuals with intellectual disability (ID) did not have the cognitive capacity to experience mental health problems and this acted as a “buffer” against suicidal behaviour. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – The literature review covered the time period 1993-2013 and returned 117 studies, 77 of which related to individuals with ID, 37 of which related to adults. Following screening titles and abstracts 28 articles were removed. A total of nine studies were found to be eligible for inclusion in the review. A further two studies examining suicide in adolescents (up to adulthood) with ID were also considered. From the eligible studies the following information was considered: study design, sample size, strengths, limitations and the risk factors associated with an increased risk of suicide. Findings – The suicide risk factors identified during the review were found to be in keeping with the general population and included a diagnosis of clinical depression, history of self-harm, unemployment, loneliness, unemployment, an increased need for support from others, early onset mental illness and being treatment resistive. Originality/value – Suicide in individuals with ID is a topic that has not received a great deal of attention from professionals and clinicians alike. People with ID have higher rates of mental health problems and therefore it could be argued that they are more likely to be at risk. This study aims to look at risk factors specific to people with ID for clinicians to consider in their daily practice.

Drug use and mental health in a Secure Children’s Home

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 71-82
Author(s):  
Richard Martin Pates ◽  
Kristian Hooper
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Drug Use ◽  
General Population ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
British Society ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Children's Home ◽  
Children’S Homes ◽  
Mental Health Diagnoses

Purpose Secure Children’s Homes are safe environments where many of the most troubled children in British society are resident. These children are from either a criminal background or referred for protection of themselves and others from harm. There is often a history of drug use and diagnoses of mental health problems before admission. The purpose of this paper is to examine one Secure Children’s Home to determine the level of drug use prior to admission compared to surveys of children not in this environment and to examine the veracity of the mental health diagnoses. Design/methodology/approach This paper is a retrospective examination of case notes for admissions from 2014 to 2015. Findings The study found much higher levels of drug use than in the general population at similar age and a wide diagnosis of mental health problems prior to admission. Research limitations/implications Levels of harm from traumatic childhood events need to be recognised by referrers as maybe leading to attachment disorders and not mental health problems. More research is needed into the outcomes form Secure Children’s Homes in the long term. Practical implications The children in these homes do have as anticipated much higher levels of drug use than in the general population and high levels of mental health diagnoses which are not always borne out during their admission to the children’s home. Originality/value This is an examination of a special population of young people indicating high levels of drug use and mental health problems.

Six-year follow-up study of combined type ADHD from childhood to young adulthood: Predictors of functional impairment and comorbid symptoms

2016 ◽  
Vol 35 ◽  
pp. 47-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
T Cadman ◽  
J. Findon ◽  
H. Eklund ◽  
H. Hayward ◽  
D. Howley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Drug Use ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
The United States ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Population Norms ◽  
Police Contact ◽  
Dsm Iv

AbstractBackgroundADHD in childhood is associated with development of negative psychosocial and behavioural outcomes in adults. Yet, relatively little is known about which childhood and adulthood factors are predictive of these outcomes and could be targets for effective interventions. To date follow-up studies have largely used clinical samples from the United States with children ascertained at baseline using broad criteria for ADHD including all clinical subtypes or the use of DSM III criteria.AimsTo identify child and adult predictors of comorbid and psychosocial comorbid outcomes in ADHD in a UK sample of children with DSM-IV combined type ADHD.MethodOne hundred and eighteen adolescents and young adults diagnosed with DSM-IV combined type ADHD in childhood were followed for an average of 6 years. Comorbid mental health problems, drug and alcohol use and police contact were compared for those with persistent ADHD, sub-threshold ADHD and population norms taken from the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Study 2007. Predictors included ADHD symptomology and gender.ResultsPersistent ADHD was associated with greater levels of anger, fatigue, sleep problems and anxiety compared to sub-threshold ADHD. Comorbid mental health problems were predicted by current symptoms of hyperactivity-impulsivity, but not by childhood ADHD severity. Both persistent and sub-threshold ADHD was associated with higher levels of drug use and police contact compared to population norms.ConclusionsYoung adults with a childhood diagnosis of ADHD showed increased rates of comorbid mental health problems, which were predicted by current levels of ADHD symptoms. This suggests the importance of the continuing treatment of ADHD throughout the transitional years and into adulthood. Drug use and police contact were more common in ADHD but were not predicted by ADHD severity in this sample.

“Walking wounded or wounded healer?” Does personal experience of mental health problems help or hinder mental health practice? A review of the literature

2014 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Conchar ◽  
Julie Repper
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Peer Support ◽  
Personal Experience ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
Wounded Healer ◽  
Content Type

Purpose – A systematic review of the literature on “wounded healers” was undertaken to identify, define and interpret the term and its application within the mental health environment. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – Eight key medical/social sciences databases were interrogated. In total, 835 papers were identified in the systematic database search and abstracts were obtained for each to determine whether they met the inclusion criteria. In total, 237 sources were retrieved for critical reading, to assess relevance and value to the review, and 125 documents were subsequently included. Through thematic analysis a number of themes and sub themes were identified Findings – The archetypal image of the wounded healer originates in ancient mythology and crosses many cultures. There are many interpretations and applications of the belief that having healed their own wounds a person is in a better position to heal others, however, the evidence to support this is not so robust. Of more direct relevance to contemporary practice are reports of supporting staff with mental health problems to make a contribution to mental health services, most recently through the employment of peer support workers. Originality/value – As peer support workers are increasingly being employed in mental health services, it is helpful to consider the many existing staff who bring personal experience of mental health problems. This paper explores the evidence that their lived experience makes a difference to the way that they work and considers their employment support needs.

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