Back to Journal

SM Journal of Psychiatry & Mental Health

How Immigration Policy is Impacting Children

[ ISSN : 2576-5477 ]

Abstract Introduction
Details

Received: 14-Nov-2018

Accepted: 15-Nov-2018

Published: 20-Nov-2018

Raj Rasasingham

Department of Child and Adolescent psychiatry, University of Toronto, Canada

Corresponding Author:

Raj Rasasingham, Department of Child and Adolescent psychiatry, University of Toronto, Canada, Email: rrasasingham@hrh.ca

Abstract

As I watch the current immigration issues south of the border, I look towards what impacts in may have on children’s mental health. As children leave their homes, friends and extended family for better opportunities; what is the impact on their mental health.

Introduction

As I watch the current immigration issues south of the border, I look towards what impacts in may have on children’s mental health. As children leave their homes, friends and extended family for better opportunities; what is the impact on their mental health. There has been great deal of evidence that immigrants are prone to higher incidence mental health conditions. This may be particularly true for psychotic disorders. There is some evidence for social networks in third world countries being protective for schizophrenia as well other psychotic disorders. Even in the mood disorder literature, there is ongoing evidence for the influence of the environment for these conditions in relation to genetics.

I have advocated and will continue to advocate for humane treatment of refugees and economics migrants, particularly children. I was immensely concerned as well as my fellow psychiatry colleagues about the inhumane treatment of migrants. Seperating children from their parents will cause lasting psychological issues. Attachment is important to early development. The acute separation during a period of such transition will have lasting impact on mental health as well as personality development.

As a child psychiatrist, I come across so many issues in regard to attachment and personality development. This requires significant support as was as usage of economic recourses. If public policy can be responsible worldwide in regard to migrants and children; good outcomes can be fostered. Migration itself is a huge stress, thus responsible public policy has to be developed by first world nations. Children in particular are particularly vulnerable to these stressors. Moreover, many of them have no choice but to travel with their parents and as such we have to be even more compassionate to their wellbeing.

As I think about how much we have in the first world, we cannot forget how much wealth is unevenly distributed around the world. This may be the nidus of migration as well ethnic conflict. If we make responsible public policy in terms of immigration and aid to the developing world we may in fact be able to prevent future migrant issues. A global perspective has to taken with aspect public policy decisions in the eastern world because it certainly has effects so many nations around the world. Moreover, these decisions have lasting impact on the children of the world, particularly in the developing world.

Citation

Rasasingham R. How Immigration Policy is Impacting Children’s Mental Health? SM J Psychiatry Ment Health. 2018; 3(1): 1013.

Other Articles

Article Image 1

Stigma in Employment Toward Persons with Mental Illness in Japan

In Japan, there is a recognized need for further research into stigma in the workplace toward persons with mental illness. Toward that end, I will discuss here two studies that we have conducted with the aim of (I) elucidating the stigma experienced in the workplace by persons with mental illness, and (II) elucidating employers’ attitudes toward persons with mental illness.

Hatsumi Yoshii* 


Article Image 1

Clinical Symptoms in Female Patients of University Psychological Counseling

International literature has detected high levels of academic stress in students of universities and colleges, which manifests itself with clinical symptoms [1] and constitutes an obstacle to the activation of adaptive, functional and coping responses

Giulia Savarese*, Luna Carpinelli, Oreste Fasano, Monica Mollo, Nadia Pecoraro and Antonio Iannaccone 


Article Image 1

Stress and Anxiety for the University Students

T he scientific literature has highlighted how the incoming and outgoing transitions through the university represent stressful moments for students. Generally, an adaptation of one’s self it’s needed

Giulia Savarese*, Luna Carpinelli, Oreste Fasano, Monica Mollo, Nadia Pecoraro, Pierpaolo Cavallo 


Article Image 1

Pre-Tibial Edema Associated with Quetiapine: Five Case Series

It is known that edema is a rare side effect of quetiapine. Until now only nine cases of peripheral edema related to quetiapine have been reported in the literature. We have determined five cases of pretibial edema associated with quetiapine during two years period of time. The common feature of these cases reported here are comorbid medical disorders, such as venous insufficiency, bladder tumor, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes mellitus with excessive elevation of blood sugar. Although treatment protocol of edema and those comorbid medical diseases have been applied separately, at the end of these treatments it is seen that PTE has not been resolved. In all cases reported here that when the dose of quetiapine is reduced, it is observed that PTE is reduced or disappeared. This result brings to mind that there could be a relation between edema and quetiapine.

Hayriye Dilek Hamurcu¹*, Ersin Hatice Karslıoğlu¹, Mehmet Öztürk¹, Elvan Özalp¹ and Ali Çayköylü²


Article Image 1

Brother against Brother: Family Affairs

War, quarrel, and some conflict were devastating. In some family for reasons of emotion, influence by other people, ideology, honor, politics, geography or the simple environment, elder brother can find themselves on opposing sides of a war and force them to be in facing battlefield. If we searching the reason for the quarrel between incent brothers, there may be the negligible reason. In straightforward, reasons for the quarrel were not very big.

Ashok Pandey


Article Image 1

Association of Sleep Quality with Health Related Quality of Life in Residents Close to Wind Turbines

Background: In Canada, industrial wind operations are important parts of the country’s long-term energy strategy and Wind Turbines (WTs) are represented as environmentally friendly projects; however, suspected health-related effects of exposure to WT noise have attracted much public attention. Sleep disturbance and degraded Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) have been among the most common complaints reported by residents living close to wind farms.

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between changes in sleep quality and HRQoL among residents living close to wind farms.

Methods: Pre- and post-natural experiments were conducted with two data collection periods, before and after WTs became operational; sleep quality was measured by using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and HRQoL was measured using the 12-item Short Form (SF-12) Health Survey of 50 participants.

Results: Changes in the SF-12 mental component summary (ΔMCS) were correlated inversely with the changes in PSQI score (ΔPSQI, Spearman’s correlation r_S= -0.595). The median values for ΔMCS were significantly associated with ΔPSQI (p=0.039) after controlling for age, sex, distance and attitude to WTs, in a quantile regression analysis.

Conclusion: Changes in sleep quality reported by residents living nearby WTs were a significant independent predictor of the degraded mental health domain of HRQoL.

Leila Jalali*, Ashok Chaurasia, Philip Bigelow, Shannon Majowicz and Stephen McColl


Article Image 1

Euthyroid Hyper Thyroxinemia in Acute Psychiatric Illness with Associated Primary Hyperparathyroidism

Acute psychiatric illness is associated with alterations of serum thyroid hormone levels including normal or high T3 levels and elevated T4 levels with normal or high TSH that have no clinical signs or symptoms and resolve within 2 weeks. This phenomenon is called euthyroid hyperthyroxinemia. We present a case of primary hyperparathyroidism contributing to a patient’s depression with psychosis that developed euthyroid hyperthyroxinemia. We also review the literature to present current thoughts about pathophysiology and treatment.

Joseph Wolfgang Mathews and Nicoleta Dorinela Sora* 


Article Image 1

Recognizing and Responding to Depression in Dementia

One-third of people living with dementia also experience depression. Treating symptoms of depression may be a protective factor and reduce cognitive decline in dementia. People suffering from depression experience sad mood, reduced energy, poor concentration, loss of interest, diminished activity and they are at risk for death by suicide. Screening instruments include the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (CSDD) and the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). Typical treatments include antidepressant medications, which may have limited efficacy; and Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT), which may heighten memory loss. Psychotherapeutic approaches, including cognitive–behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy and supportive counseling can be helpful. Lifestyle modifications addressing healthy diet, exercise and the inclusion of enjoyable activities can promote improved quality of life. Providing needed education and support to caregivers, who often experience depression, anxiety and sleep disorders themselves is critical. This paper provides health professionals with an overview of approaches for recognizing and responding to co-occurring dementia and depression.

Sherri Melrose* 


Article Image 1

Faecal Calprotectin and a Twenty Four-Parameter Questionnaire in Autistic Children with Gastrointestinal Symptoms

This study investigated potential correlation between the inflammatory marker, Calprotectin, and a S.O.S questionnaire from forty-nine Autistic children. Symptom and behavioral questionnaires were completed contemporaneously with stool sample collection. Mixed Model data analysis showed strong correlation between some questionnaire parameters and Calprotectin. ‘Need for a fixed routine’ was highly significantly correlated with Calprotectin (????<0.00009) with Multivariate Coefficient of 3.227, whilst paradoxically ‘constipation’ indicated significant change (????<0.02) with negative Multivariate Coefficient (-1.584). The negative ‘constipation’ appears to associate with the positive ‘need for a fixed routine’ indicating possibility of reciprocal, independent prediction of gastrointestinal inflammation. Results suggest that ‘need for a fixed routine’ and ‘constipation’ be included in a screening questionnaire as independent predictors of bowel dysfunction in these children.

Ioná Bramati-Castellarin¹*, Vinood Patel¹ and Ian P Drysdale²


Article Image 1

A Holistic Neuropsychological Approach to Cognitive Remediation for a Community-Based Mixed Psychiatric Sample

Background: Improved real world functioning is the ultimate goal of cognitive rehabilitation (which was developed for an acquired brain injury population), however, cognitive remediation for psychiatric populations focuses primarily on cognitive interventions (e.g., computerized cognitive training) and utilizes cognitive test results as outcomes. A broader range of neuropsychological interventions and outcome measures, incorporating real-world measures of functioning, is recommended for cognitive remediation program evaluation.

Objective: To determine the feasibility and explore the effectiveness of a holistic cognitive remediation program administered by clinical neuropsychologists for a community-based mixed psychiatric treatment seeking sample.

Method: Twenty-five adults of mixed psychiatric aetiology were referred for a 10-week intervention (including four hours of weekly individual and group-based sessions). A broad array of outcomes was assessed post-intervention. Functional status, self-reported cognitive symptoms and quality of life was assessed at 11.3 months follow-up.

Results: Eighteen of the referred participants (72%) completed the intervention. Completers showed: a high rate of functional cognitive goal attainment; increased employment rates; improved symptoms of psychological distress and quality of life; reduced self-report of cognitive difficulties; and improved auditory attention span and verbal memory. Self-report of reduced cognitive difficulties and improved quality of life was maintained approximately one year later. The majority of participants reported very high levels of satisfaction with the program.

Conclusions: This intervention was acceptable to participants and associated with high satisfaction rates and gains in cognitive, psychological and functional outcomes. Findings suggest there are multiple benefits to adopting an intervention program that is holistic, individualized to the goals of the patient and facilitated by trained neuropsychologists.

Jamie Berry¹,²*, Donel Martin¹, Karen Wallace¹, Anthony Miller², Travis Wearne² and Melanie Porter²