Baseline characteristics and physical, sexual andemotional health needs of a cohort of unaccompaniedasylum-seeking children presenting to a london borough (Heys, 2020)
Armitage A. Cohen J. Eisen S. Heys M. Ward A.
Archives of Disease in Childhood 2020;105(SUPPL 1): A172.
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Aims The meaningful health needs of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) are poorly understood, preventing a fully informed population-based approach to planning health services. This lackof data around UASC has been identified as an unmet research need, as well as a rights of the child issue. Here we describe the physical, sexual and emotional health needs of a population of UASC presenting to a London borough.
Methods Unlinked data were collected for UASC presenting to a London borough between January 2016and March 2019, including data from initial health assessment (IHA) and infectious diseases (ID)screening. Results During the study period 101 UASC were seen for IHA (84% male, age range 14-17, median age16). Countries of origin included Eritrea (27%), Sudan (14%) and Ethiopia (12%). Two thirds of UASCdisclosed historical physical assault/abuse including 16% who described experience of torture. Onexamination more than half, 54%, of UASC had scars consistent with their disclosures, and 9% hadevidence of harmful traditional practices such as FGM, uvulectomy and scarification. Historical sexualassault or abuse was disclosed by 13% UASC, including 6 of the 16 (38%) female UASC. A further six UASC(6%) reported witnessing sexual assault. For 6/16 (38%) female UASC, there was evidence of traffickingand suspicion of undisclosed sexual assault/abuse. The majority, 77% of UASC demonstrated symptoms of poor mental health including sleep problems andsigns of trauma. Deliberate self-harm and parasuicide were reported at some point in 8% UASC. Data are available for ID screening of 69 UASC from the same borough during the study period, of whom28/69 (41%) had one positive ID result requiring treatment and 9/69 (13%) had two or more resultsrequiring treatment. Diagnoses included latent TB (25%), schistosomiasis (13%) and other helminthinfections (9%), and hepatitis B (6%). Conclusion This cohort demonstrate high rates of trauma, physical and sexual abuse and unmet physicaland mental health needs. This population require intensive, integrated support and health services tooptimise engagement and physical health, mental health and social outcomes.