Suchergebnisse

The aim of this article is to analyse the role of the legal representative in therapeutic law, specifically in Swedish administrative court hearings relating to compulsory care. Data are collected from three types of cases where a health or social welfare authority argues that it is necessary to apply coercion to a citizen: the Care of Young Persons (Special Provisions) Act, the Care of Alcohol and Drug Abusers (Special Provisions) Act and the Compulsory Psychiatric Care Act. The data consist of audio‐recordings from 39 hearings, supplemented by 28 interviews with participants in these hearings, and court documents. Three primary roles of the legal representatives are identified: defender, spokesperson and therapist. We show how the primary role of the attorney becomes that of the spokesperson, but also that the role of the therapist takes precedence over that of the defender.

Migrant children have repeatedly been shown to underutilize psychiatric services and to face barriers to care, yet few studies have examined the experience of migrant parents who are successful in their help-seeking efforts for their children's mental health. The aim of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of facilitators and obstacles to reaching care among migrant parents in contact with child psychiatric services. We explored how migrant parents in Stockholm, Sweden, experienced the process of reaching child mental health services. Participants were recruited from out-patient mental health clinics. Ten in-depth interviews were conducted; qualitative analysis of transcripts was undertaken using thematic content analysis. Parents described a desire to reach services but difficulties doing so on their own. We identified a strong dependence on referring agents, such as schools and child health centers, for parents to gain contact. Informants expressed a high degree of trust toward these agents. Contrary to previous studies, stigma was not described as an obstacle to help-seeking but was recognized by informants as a potential barrier to care had they not emigrated. Although participants in our study had differing educational backgrounds and residency times in Sweden, a common experience of reliance on others for reaching services was evident in the data. Our findings highlight the role of referring agents as bridging contacts between different welfare services. Understanding the specific local resources and services that are available to migrant parents, and strengthening these across different sectors, could potentially help reduce barriers to care.

Abstract. Background and aim: We aimed to assess rates and background factors of suicide among unaccompanied minors/youth (10–21 years of age) seeking asylum in Sweden in 2017, and to compare these rates with rates in the Swedish general population of the same age. Method: Data were collected and validated using information from four governmental agencies and two nongovernmental organizations. Suicide rates were calculated for 100,000 individuals. Results: The suicide rate was 51.2 per 100,000 among unaccompanied minors/youth, which compares to 6.1 per 100,000 in the host population. Characteristics of asylum seekers who died by suicide were: male gender (100%) and from Afghanistan (83%). Hanging was the predominant method (60%). Limitations: As estimation of an exact population of asylum seekers is difficult; we overestimated the number of individuals in the population of asylum seekers, resulting in an underestimation of their suicide rates. Conclusion: The suicide rate in unaccompanied minors/youth seeking asylum in 2017 in Sweden can be regarded as very high. Rapid implementation of suicide preventive measures is warranted.

Abstract. Background and aim: We aimed to assess rates and background factors of suicide among unaccompanied minors/youth (10–21 years of age) seeking asylum in Sweden in 2017, and to compare these rates with rates in the Swedish general population of the same age. Method: Data were collected and validated using information from four governmental agencies and two nongovernmental organizations. Suicide rates were calculated for 100,000 individuals. Results: The suicide rate was 51.2 per 100,000 among unaccompanied minors/youth, which compares to 6.1 per 100,000 in the host population. Characteristics of asylum seekers who died by suicide were: male gender (100%) and from Afghanistan (83%). Hanging was the predominant method (60%). Limitations: As estimation of an exact population of asylum seekers is difficult; we overestimated the number of individuals in the population of asylum seekers, resulting in an underestimation of their suicide rates. Conclusion: The suicide rate in unaccompanied minors/youth seeking asylum in 2017 in Sweden can be regarded as very high. Rapid implementation of suicide preventive measures is warranted.