The health status of newly arrived asylum-seeking minors in Denmark: a nationwide register-based study
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE
The health status of newly arrived asylum-seeking minors in Denmark: a nationwide register-based study Andreas Halgreen Eiset1
•
Arendse Sander Loua2 • Alexandra Kruse2,3 • Marie Norredam2,4
Received: 3 July 2019 / Revised: 21 September 2020 / Accepted: 2 October 2020 Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+) 2020
Abstract Objectives Asylum-seeking minors are known to be at increased risk of physical and mental diseases compared to both native children and adult asylum seekers. We present a nationwide register-based study based on the health assessment of 7210 newly arrived minors in Danish asylum centres from 1 January 2011 to 31 December 2015. Methods We describe socio-demographic characteristics, trauma history and symptoms of physical and mental health. To associate the reporting of traumatic events and signs of anxiety or depression, we performed logistic regression analysis. Results We found a high, albeit varying, prevalence of traumatic experiences, sleeping and eating problems, and head- and toothache. In the subgroup that was assessed for need of urgent support, more than two of every five minor scored above the threshold. In the subgroup examined by a doctor, one of every four had at least one abnormal finding. Conclusions The prevalence of trauma and mental health symptoms and the association of the two were striking. Our findings underline that timely recognition and appropriate treatment of childhood traumas should be given high priority in the receiving communities. Keywords Refugee health Asylum seeker Minor Children Screening
Introduction
Andreas Halgreen Eiset and Arendse Sander Loua are co-first authors. Both authors contributed equally to this research and manuscript.
Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-020-01501-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorised users. & Andreas Halgreen Eiset [email protected] 1
Centre for Global Health (GloHAU), Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
2
Section of Immigrant Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark
3
Department of Paediatrics, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark
4
Danish Research Centre for Migration, Ethnicity, and Health (MESU), Section for Health Services Research, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
In 2015, nearly 1.3 million asylum seekers were registered in the European Union of whom nearly one-third were minors (\ 18 years of age) corresponding to global figures (Eurostat 2018). The same year Denmark received 6281 asylum-seeking minors of whom 33% were unaccompanied (Udlændingestyrelsen, Styrelsen for International Rekruttering og Integration 2016). Asylum-seeking minors are particularly vulnerable both to physical and mental health problems due to risk factors related to conditions in their country of origin as well as during their flight and r
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