[2] A report published in August 2018 suggested there were at least 30. These contributing factors include, but are not limited to 1) the immense amount of stress placed on refugee children, 2) an ensuing lack of proper mental health treatment for the stress the child is under as well as the past trauma he or she has experienced, and 3) a psychodynamic hypothesis in which the migrant mother (or even father), often the subject of physical abuse or sexual assault, projects his or her trauma onto the child, who subsequently adopts this trauma as its own. Now to Sallins hypothesis in the article. If that is the case, it raises an interesting question: could Resignation Syndrome be contagious? Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare, Asylum seekers with apathetic refugee children, "Pervasive refusal syndrome as part of the refusal-withdrawal-regression spectrum: critical review of the literature illustrated by a case report", "Asylskande Barn med Uppgivenhetssymtom Trauma, Kultur, Asylprocess", "Comment on the paper "Pervasive Refusal Syndrome (PRS) 21 years on-a reconceptualization and renaming" by Ken Nunn, Bryan Lask and Isabel Owen", "12yo refugee on hunger strike on Nauru suffering from resignation syndrome, doctors say - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)", "Sveket mot de "apatiska" barnen r en skandal", "SVT mste ta ansvar fr apatiska barn-skandalen", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Resignation_syndrome&oldid=1122265720, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles containing Swedish-language text, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 16 November 2022, at 18:26. This is a life-threatening condition needing high level medical care. A proposed neurobiological model of the disorder suggests that the impact of overwhelming negative expectations are directly causative of the down-regulation of higher order and lower order behavioral systems in particularly vulnerable individuals. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Before the theoretical analysis of why Resignation Syndrome exists solely in Sweden, it is critical to highlight the general information about the syndrome, including its symptoms, the profiles of the individuals it affects, and if any treatments are available. But then when their visa is denied and theyre told they have to go back to their home country, the fact that they actually had a good life in Sweden is in striking contrast to what they would be going back to., One doctor in Life Overtakes Medescribes the psychological reality this way: Your child is laying here like Snow White because everything is so terrible around her that this is a way of protection. Karen had found security in Boztas, Senay. They just cannot activate any motor skills. 12 (2005): 344, doi:10.1080/08035250510036778. Of the 35 children Calshamre has met over the years, one of them got permission to stay in Sweden while still at Solsidan. In other words, this culturally-based hypothesis has enough credible support to suggest it plays both a contributing factor for the condition and explain why the illness exists only in the Swedish state. But why does this only seem to occur in Sweden? Read about our approach to external linking. Your email address will not be published. Pr. - Etikbloggen, Betydelsen av det akademiska seminariet - Etikbloggen, Etiska utmaningar nr barn med cancer rekryteras till forskning - Etikbloggen, Vetenskap, forskningskommunikation och ordens betydelse - Etikbloggen, Human Brain Project, Neuroethics and Philosophy. [9] Karl Sallin et al., Resignation Syndrome: Catatonia? They are in a life-threatening condition and show no reactions even to painful stimuli. It is up to the parents to transmit this sense of hope as the afflicted children are dependent upon rebuilding security in their lives. Theres people from these geographic areas, Haptas explains. "You need to harden your heart with these cases," says Sophie's paediatrician, Dr Lars Dagson, who has seen her regularly throughout her illness. It is important to highlight that this change in atmosphere, greater security, and positive news was transmitted to Dasha by her mother. Could it be that spreading awareness of this phenomenon is actually causing more cases and doing more harm than good? [4] However, as stated previously, the children affected were only those whose families fled their home country and sought asylum in Sweden. Culture-Bound? To Dasha, this profound change in the reality of their situation was accepted as a truth only when her mother, sensing greater security in her life, was able to move past her trauma and overcome her hopelessness. There is no definitive answer to that question, says Sallin, who is researching Resignation Syndrome for his PhD. Some of the Nauru children were very unwell with complications of coma." From simple essay plans, through to full dissertations, you can guarantee we have a service perfectly matched to your needs. Often the children will have no contact with their parents until they are able to talk to them on the phone. Resignation syndrome is a rare psychiatric condition that presents as a progressive social withdrawal and reluctance to engage in usual activities such as school A new Netflix documentary, Life Overtakes Me looks at three families coping with resignation syndrome, and it's providing new insights into the psychological trauma of being a child refugee. Sweden's National Board of Health recently stated there were 169 cases in 2015 and 2016. [16] Gran Bodegrd, Pervasive loss of function in asylum-seeking children in Sweden, Acta Paediatrica 94, no. We see apathetic refugee children as symbols of our own moral failure to treat them and their families Feel Like Your ADHD Meds Arent Working? To export a reference to this article please select a referencing stye below: If you are the original writer of this essay and no longer wish to have your work published on UKEssays.com then please: Our academic writing and marking services can help you! The first noted case of resignation syndrome (RS) appeared 1998 in northern Sweden. Thats Changing. Public Radio International. [18] Admir Skodo, Sweden: By Turns Welcoming and Restrictive in Its Immigration Policy, Migrationpolicy.org, last modified May 26, 2019, https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/sweden-turns-welcoming-and-restrictive-its-immigration-policy. If it is believed that a pill will have a certain impact on health positive or negative the effect can be produced even if the pill contains only a medically inactive substance. Listen to Sweden's Child Migrant Mystery on Assignment, on the BBC World Service, For transmission times or to catch up online, click here. The diagnosis itself has been controversial; the BBC reported in 2017 that that the Swedish children had been accused of "faking it," and that their parents were suspected poisoning them, though "none of these stories were proven," the BBC clarifies. Hultcrantz tests Sophie's reflexes. https://www.crb.uu.se/personal/karl-sallin/ Amid that uncertainty, Karen fell ill again. The symptoms of Resignation Syndrome are similar to those suffering from Catatonia, a behavioral syndrome that involves a lack of proper movement and speech. Called Resignation Syndrome, it affects only the children of asylum-seekers, who According to reports, the mystery illness was first seen in Sweden in the 1990s - but grew rapidly by the mid-2000s. The article in The New Yorker emphasizes that the syndrome is a culture-bound psychopathology. The witnesses insisted that the girl had been a well-functioning, normal child who was coached into faking her illness when doctors and officials were present. Clinicians reject this.". Copyright 20102023, The Conversation US, Inc. But evidence from the town of Skara in the south of Sweden suggests that there is a way of curing children with Resignation Syndrome even if the family doesn't receive permanent residence. Unlike Sophie, the children affected have often been living in Sweden for years, speak the language and are well-adjusted to their new, Nordic lives. Report calls for royal commission into children in immigration detention: experts respond. They just fall away from the world. Thus, while this may be one of several causes of Resignation Syndrome, it does not explain the regional distribution of the illness. Secondary symptoms may also appear such as weight gain, viral infections, skin sores, and muscular deterioration. While stress is a contributing factor for why refugee children suffer from Resignation Syndrome, it does explain the regional distribution of the condition. BBC News, Sweden. They have day clothes and night clothes, and experienced staff like Clara Ogren, help them colour or draw by holding their hands to grip a pencil. Theyre in limbo, Samuelson notes. But the child does not stir. Others are from Balkan countries or former Soviet republics south of Russia. WebResignation syndrome. At first, right-wing Swedish officials, certain sectors of the Swedish public, and even a handful of medical researchers believed the children were faking their symptoms or the parents were poisoning their children. The affected children all come from refugee families that have fled to Sweden after experiencing persecution of some kind. He stopped talking, eating, and walking; soon after that he became diagnosed with Resignation Syndrome. Resignation syndrome might be part of a spectrum of different traumatic responses to instability and distress. When children witness violence or threats against a parent, their most significant connection in the world is ripped apart, the carers at Solsidan believe. [13] The family is stilling awaiting news of whether their residency was granted and Karen has remained unresponsive for 14 months. The condition affects predominately psychologically traumatized children and adolescents in the midst of a strenuous and lengthy migration process. Overtakes. [I] started playing with that word, and Life Overtakes Me emerged. Researchers argue that culture-bound psychogenesis can accommodate the endemic distribution because children may learn that dissociation is a way to deal with trauma. Accordingly, many asylum-seeking families and individuals fled to Sweden under the impression that they had a high chance of being granted asylum and correspondingly, a secure future living condition. Recovery ensues within months to years and is claimed to be dependent on the restoration of hope to the family. So why is the syndrome common only in Sweden? These Are the Toughest Places for Asylum Seekers to Enter Europe. Telegraph.co.uk. He became paranoid, frequently thinking there was someone outside trying to shoot them. The question then is: Why does catatonia arise only in refugee children in Sweden? Nola didnt resist the intrusion. https://www.crb.uu.se/personal/karl-sallin/, Uppgivenhetssyndrom hos flyktingbarn en ny hypotes | ETIKBLOGGEN, Only in Sweden - Bioethics Research Library, The New Yorker features resignation syndrome | Bioethics Research Library, Centre for Research Ethics & Bioethics (CRB), Taking care of the legacy: curating responsible research and innovation practice. With support from the Human Brain Project, Neuroethics and Philosophy. Cerotti, Rachael. Finally, refugee children who: exhibit psychological instability, have a history of mental health such as depression, and have overly sensitive personalities, run the greatest risk of falling ill. This explanation may also seem reasonable, especially considering another peculiarity of the syndrome: it does not affect unaccompanied refugee children, only children who arrive with their families. The oldest children are better able to comprehend the trauma they experience either directly or indirectly through their family members, and also run a greater risk of being exposed to such trauma. severe major depressive disorder with psychotic symptoms or catatonia, or conversion/dissociation disorder. Read more: Dedicated to your worth and value as a human being! Professor Newman tells Bustle that the issue of asylum-seekers in Australia has been "highly politicized," and there have been "accusations that the condition is merely attention-seeking or manipulation. The real issue hasn't been dealt with - it's limbo," says Dagson. Resignation Syndrome: Catatonia? Dagson shares the view commonly held among doctors treating children with Resignation Syndrome, that recovery depends on them feeling secure and that it is a permanent residence permit that kick-starts that process. But Sophie's eyes are closed. WebAmid that uncertainty, Karen fell ill again. More than 400 cases were reported in the two years from 2003-2005. While awaiting a residency permit, a boy of Chechnyan descent deteriorated and was left bed-ridden, unresponsive and in need of feeding to sustain. Last modified May 26, 2019. [15] Gran Bodegrd, Pervasive loss of function in asylum-seeking children in Sweden, Acta Paediatrica 94, no. Swedens Mystery Illness: Resignation Syndrome. Doctors of the World. Registered office: Creative Tower, Fujairah, PO Box 4422, UAE. I think it is a form of protection, this coma they are in," she told Doctors Of The World. "We play for them until they can play on their own. Ethical challenges when children with cancer are recruited for research, Science, science communication and language, Att frvalta arvet frn ansvarsfull forskning och innovation i Human Brain Project - Etikbloggen, Frndrar sjukdomens svrighet den moraliska motivationen att agera? Here Sallin hits on the main obstacle to understanding Resignation Syndrome - the lack of research into it. In Australia's offshore detention center for asylum-seekers on the island of Nauru, which has notoriously harsh conditions, the Economist reports that "traumatic withdrawal syndrome" has been seen among some child detainees. VideoThe secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure, LGBT troops take love for Eurovision to front line, Why an Indian comedian is challenging fake news rules. Resignation Syndrome was first reported in Sweden in the late 1990s. More precisely, no medicine can help the child regain both his or her motor functions and livelihood. She tells Bustle that it develops "as a response to situations of extreme stress and trauma where children feel powerless and essentially withdraw into a state like hibernation in severe cases. Then, quite quickly, Sophie deteriorated. WebAmid that uncertainty, Karen fell ill again. We are dealing with a culture bound psychogenesis. Are doctors ethically obliged to keep at-risk children out of detention? 26 October 2017. According to Karl Sallin, it could be a copycat phenomenon. Pr Segerdahl is the editor of the Ethics Blog and its Swedish counterpart Etikbloggen. Theres serious concern about the use of Nauru as a processing centre and the adequacy of health services. She cried, shouted "Please go and find my dad! In Sweden it may make a real concrete difference, as the film gets out, to how the government handles immigration policyparticularly because, like a lot of countries, Sweden is facing a resurgence of the right wing and the growth of anti-immigration sentiment.. Yes, these children must, of course, be offered care. One of these children was Karen, a twelve-year-old refugee from Eastern Europe and the oldest of three siblings. Young people reportedly develop depressive symptoms, become socially withdrawn, and become motionless and speechless as a reaction to stress and hopelessness. He initially adjusted well after resettlement in Sweden, but then, like Daria, he too fell into a catatonic state and now must be nourished through a feeding tube threaded down his nose. Does the severity of an illness qualify the moral motivation to act? [2] Doctors researching the syndrome observe that those primarily affected are children of asylum seekers from vulnerable communities, including Yazidi refugees from Iraq and migrants from Slavic countries like Russia and Ukraine. So I have to say that right now, we feel like theres pixie dust on us and were pretty excited.. Video, The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure, MasterChef Australia host Jock Zonfrillo dies, Father tells how gunman opened fire on Texas home, Trump says 'great to be home' on visit to Scotland, NFL player's daughter, aged two, drowns in pool, Banana artwork in Seoul museum eaten by visitor, Indian 'killer' elephant relocated to tiger reserve. Resignation syndrome is a rare psychiatric condition that presents as a progressive social withdrawal and reluctance to engage in usual activities such as school and play. In the middle of this debate are children who know nothing of politics, but know they are abandoned without a future. [12]Life Overtakes Me, directed by Kristine Samuelson. Sophie heard everything in that meeting with the Migration Board, and it was at this point that she stopped speaking and eating. Identifying the cause has proven elusive. As exemplified in this paper, there are many potential contributing factors for why Resignation Syndrome exists primarily amongst refugee children. "They promised they will kill us. In the last fifteen years, hundreds of traumatized refugee children living in Sweden, but originating primarily from Slavic countries like Russia, have become afflicted. (Perhaps I should point out that Sallin emphasizes that psychological causes are not to be understood in terms of a mind/body dualism.). More precisely, many refugee children who have not migrated to Sweden, but other countries, are also under an immense amount of pressure, live in stress-induced conditions, and face the uncertainty of deportation as well. If this is true, it creates an ethical problem mentioned in the article. An ENT surgeon before she retired, Hultcrantz is worried because Sophie does not ever open her mouth. There is no alternative to offering these children treatment: they cannot survive without tube feeding. Thats maybe a clue.. Read about our approach to external linking. But if I understand Sallin correctly, he thinks that the spread of symptom descriptions through mass media, and the ongoing practice of treating children with resignation syndrome, might be essential in this context. As Elizabeth Hultcrantz, a doctor who has treated those with Resignation Syndrome, told The New Yorker: I think it is a form of protection, this coma they are in. Children are exposed to distress and despair in others around them and in their own parents. They are like Snow White. Sophie's mother took her to a friend's home. [4], Acknowledging its social importance and relevance, the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare recognized the novel diagnostic entity resignation syndrome in 2014. Accordingly, the refugee child gradually takes up the position of devitalized infantas a form of protection against this emotional toxicity surviving together [as a family] in their current life circumstances[15], This hypothesis is supported by one of the narratives in Life Overtakes Me. "Typically a depressive onset is followed by gradual withdrawal progressing via stupor into a state that prompts tube feeding and is characterized by failure to respond even to painful stimuli," a study of the phenomenon in Frontiers In Behavioral Neuroscience found in 2016. In his home country of Ukraine, Karen witnessed the shooting and subsequent murder of a family friend, a situation in which he and his father barely escaped. Sallin, K., Lagercrantz, H., Evers, K., Engstrm, I., Hjern, A., Petrovic, P., Resignation Syndrome: Catatonia? *You can also browse our support articles here >. Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? Send an e-mail to [emailprotected] or visit the Centre for Research Ethics & Bioethics (CRB) website, www.crb.uu.se. Russia launches missile attacks on Ukraine, Explosion derails train in Russian border region, JP Morgan snaps up troubled US bank First Republic. "After a couple of days, I noticed she wasn't playing as much as she used to with her sister," says Sophie's mother, who is expecting a new baby next month. The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. Called Resignation Syndrome, it affects only the children of asylum-seekers, who withdraw completely, ceasing to walk or talk, or open their eyes. Accordingly, there must be another hypothesis that explains why Resignation Syndrome does not transcend past Swedish boundaries. Resignation syndrome is a strange disorder thats been occurring in Sweden for decades in the child and adolescent refugee population. Could this kind of treatment help Sophie? Accordingly, the theory argues that in the treatment of trauma, the children never run the risk of falling into this comatose state; and so, Resignation Syndrome can be prevented. With government wanting to maintain policies to deter asylum seekers and prevent entry to Australia, theyre seemingly accepting harm done to those in limbo. [20] Senay Boztas, These Are the Toughest Places for Asylum Seekers to Enter Europe, Telegraph.co.uk, last modified February 5, 2016, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/12140900/These-are-the-toughest-places-for-asylum-seekers-to-enter-Europe.html. [1]Swedens Mystery Illness: Resignation Syndrome, Doctors of the World, last modified February 20, 2018, https://doctorsoftheworld.org/blog/swedens-mystery-illness-resignation-syndrome. [1] In total, there have been approximately 800 cases of children suffering from the condition. According to witnesses cited by the Swedish magazine Filter, one of the children profiled in the film was pressured by her parents to simulate resignation syndrome for the express purpose of improving the family's prospects for permanent residence status in Sweden. Nonetheless, unique to this illness is the fact that all reported case has been within the national boundaries of Sweden. Of that number, UNICEF estimates that around 46% are children. Accordingly, there should be evidence of other refugee children, who are living outside of Sweden, that suffer from Resignation Syndrome. Families who are overwhelmed by stress may require longer-term counselling and trauma treatment. While the underlying theories of why the condition exists solely in Sweden will be discussed later in the paper, it is critical to highlight that before their affliction, many of these children have been living in Sweden for more than a couple of months. Sweden Was Among the Best Countries for Immigrants. Resignation syndrome (RS) and pervasive refusal syndrome share common features and etiologic factors; however, the former is more clearly associated with trauma and adverse life circumstances. [19] Dan Bilefsky, Sweden Toughens Rules for Refugees Seeking Asylum, The New York Times Breaking News, World News & Multimedia, last modified June 21, 2016, https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/22/world/europe/sweden-immigrant-restrictions.html. The trauma of the migrant journey is another unavoidable stress factor for refugee children. Through their parents tone, touch, and the general shift in the atmosphere resulting from good news, the children have a chance of coming out of their coma-like state. Last modified January 30, 2019. The best way, according to Swedish medical practitioners to treat Resignation Syndrome is to promote and maintain a secure and hopeful environment, encouraging a sense of coherence.[9] This security may come from granting asylum or permanent residency to these refugee families, thereby, eliminating the fear and uncertainty of being deported back to the place of previously experienced trauma. So somehow - and we do not know the mechanism for this, and why it should happen in Sweden - the kind of symptoms displayed by the children are culturally sanctioned: this is a way the children are allowed to express their trauma. WebThe symptoms of Resignation Syndrome are similar to those suffering from Catatonia, a behavioral syndrome that involves a lack of proper movement and speech. Resignation syndrome, called uppgivenhetssyndrom in Swedish, is an illness that causes people to shut down. Resignation syndrome (also called traumatic withdrawal syndrome or traumatic refusal or abandonment syndrome; Swedish: uppgivenhetssyndrom) is a catatonic condition that induces a state of reduced consciousness, first described in Sweden in the 1990s. That family connection must be re-built, but first the child must begin to recover, so Solsidan's first step is to separate the children from their parents. Karen had found security in Sweden, making friends and moving on from the trauma he experienced back in Ukraine. Children with resignation syndrome assessed and cared for by CAMHS had similar need of outpatient care as other children of the same origin who had been treated So I discovered this blog and article about this phenomena because we are seeing cases of catatonic depression in immigrant children in a small CT community. A common explanation of the syndrome is that it is a reaction to stress and depression. Until a few years ago, having a child with resignation syndrome automatically qualified a family for asylum, at which point the child often recovered. Supported by the Human Brain Project, Neuroethics and Philosophy. The hypothesis has two parts: one about the disease or diagnosis itself; and one about the cause of the disease, which may also explain the peculiar distribution. But if it were true, the syndrome should occur also in other countries. After the family was granted residency the boy recovered. In Nauru currently, some children may have been there for five years with little or no hope of finding a place of safe resettlement.

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