The health of people in Australian immigration detention centres.

نویسندگان

  • Janette P Green
  • Kathy Eagar
چکیده

OBJECTIVE To determine the health status of people in Australian immigration detention centres and the effect of time in, and reason for, detention. DESIGN, SETTING AND SUBJECTS An analysis of the health records of 720 of the 7375 people in detention in the financial year 1 July 2005-30 June 2006, with oversampling of those detained for > 3 months. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Health encounters and health condition categories; estimated incidence rates of new health conditions, new mental health conditions, and new injuries for each cohort (defined by time in, and reason for, detention). RESULTS People in detention had an estimated 1.2 (95% CI, 1.18-1.27) health encounters per person-week. Those detained for > 24 months had particularly poor health, both mental and physical. Asylum seekers had more health problems than other people in detention. The main health problems varied depending on the length of time in detention, but included dental, mental health, and musculoskeletal problems, and lacerations. Both time in, and reason for, detention were significantly related to the rate of new mental health problems (P = 0.018 and P < 0.001, respectively). The relationship between these variables and the incidence rates of physical health problems was more complex. CONCLUSION People in immigration detention are frequent users of health services, and there is a clear association between time in detention and rates of mental illness. Government policies internationally should be informed by evidence from studies of the health of this marginalised and often traumatised group.

برای دانلود متن کامل این مقاله و بیش از 32 میلیون مقاله دیگر ابتدا ثبت نام کنید

ثبت نام

اگر عضو سایت هستید لطفا وارد حساب کاربری خود شوید

منابع مشابه

Immigration detention and health.

ike all rich nations, Australia has experienced an increase in people crossing its national borders without the documents authorising them to do so. Since 1992, Australia has had a policy of mandatory detention for these people. About a third of the people in immigration detention are asylum seekers who are requesting sanctuary under the 1951 United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of ...

متن کامل

Are healthcare professionals working in Australia's immigration detention centres condoning torture?

Australian immigration detention centres are in secluded locations, some on offshore islands, and are subject to extreme secrecy, comparable with 'black sites' elsewhere. There are parallels between healthcare professionals working in immigration detention centres and healthcare professionals involved with or complicit in torture. In both cases, healthcare professionals are conflicted between a...

متن کامل

The need for a rights-based public health approach to Australian asylum seeker health

Public health professionals have a responsibility to protect and promote the right to health amongst populations, especially vulnerable and disenfranchised groups, such as people seeking asylum and whose health care is frequently compromised. As at 31 March 2016, there was a total of 3707 people (including 384 children) in immigration detention facilities or community detention in Australia, wi...

متن کامل

Ethical challenges for doctors working in immigration detention.

The health of asylum seekers in Australia’s immigration detention centres has been the subject of a doctors’ letter of concern and two recent reports.1-3 Here, we present an analysis of the ethical dilemmas faced by health practitioners working in these centres1 and seek to promote a strong and considered policy discussion. Australia’s Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) cont...

متن کامل

The profession calls for humane treatment of asylum seekers.

any of us are deeply ashamed of the way Australia treats asylum seekers. Our politicians and media obsess about the way they reach our shores, but, as doctors, our role is to care for them and to advocate for their best interests. We have become increasingly concerned about their wellbeing. The editorial by Newman and colleagues in this issue supports the investigation by the Commonwealth Ombud...

متن کامل

ذخیره در منابع من


  با ذخیره ی این منبع در منابع من، دسترسی به آن را برای استفاده های بعدی آسان تر کنید

برای دانلود متن کامل این مقاله و بیش از 32 میلیون مقاله دیگر ابتدا ثبت نام کنید

ثبت نام

اگر عضو سایت هستید لطفا وارد حساب کاربری خود شوید

عنوان ژورنال:
  • The Medical journal of Australia

دوره 192 2  شماره 

صفحات  -

تاریخ انتشار 2010