Extent of unmet need revealed

More than a quarter of refugee and asylum-seeking children have
significant unmet mental health needs, research published this week
reveals.

The report finds that more than a quarter of the 101 refugee and
asylum-seeking children examined had significant psychological
disturbance – three times the national average.

The report, by the department of psychiatry at Warneford Hospital,
Oxford, says services need to be better co-ordinated to address the
concerns raised.

“The development of services should include collaboration with
schools, primary health care, and community child mental health
teams,” it says.

Children make up at least a quarter of all asylum seekers in the UK
and, according to the research, are at risk from factors such as
violence, forced displacement and multiple losses.