[12] This witnessing of violence alongside various other threats made against the family compelled them to flee and seek refuge in Sweden. Sophie's family have the latter, and it expires in March next year. So how can an illness respect national boundaries? Dr Olssen pressed on her stomach and listened to it with a stethoscope, then listened to her heart and lungs. To reiterate, asylum-seeking families and their traumatized children were operating under the assumption that they had a high chance of being granted asylum in Sweden. Many children with the condition were experiencing trauma, including environmental stress and psychiatric disorders in parents and carers. 3 (2013): xx, doi:10.1007/s00787-013-0433-7. The explanation sounds intuitively reasonable, considering these childrens experiences. [4] Swedens Mystery Illness: Resignation Syndrome, Doctors of the World, last modified February 20, 2018, https://doctorsoftheworld.org/blog/swedens-mystery-illness-resignation-syndrome/. 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. 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. Swedens Mystery Illness: Resignation Syndrome. Doctors of the World. In line with this narrative, a report published in the Asylum Seeker Resource Center (ASRC) stated that these children cannot recover from [their home country] because [their home country] is the cause of their trauma. Are doctors ethically obliged to keep at-risk children out of detention. Karen had found security in Sweden, making friends and moving on from the trauma he experienced back in Ukraine. Thanks for comment! As a result of these recent restrictive immigration laws passed in Sweden, it is plausible to argue that the recent cultural change in Swedish society serves as both a contributing factor of Resignation Syndrome as well as a sufficient explanation for why the illness exists only in Sweden. They are like Snow White. We are dealing with a known diagnosis: catatonia, which is characterized by the same loss of motor skills. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. As a society, we need to further study this bizarre illness and more generally, we need to research the trauma both directly and indirectly faced by refugee children. "We have an expectation that they want to live, and all their abilities are still there, but they just forgot or lost the sense of using them. [13] Child Trauma on Nauru The Facts, Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, last modified November 16, 2018, https://www.asrc.org.au/2018/08/28/child-trauma-on-nauru-the-facts/. The children affected by the syndrome are primarily young adolescents ranging from 7 to 19 years of age.[3]. WebAmid that uncertainty, Karen fell ill again. Both point out the withdrawal and lack of response. [5] Catatonia: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment, WebMD, last modified January 30, 2019, https://www.webmd.com/schizophrenia/what-is-catatonia#1. University of Melbourne provides funding as a founding partner of The Conversation AU. Terms previously used for this condition include depressive devitalisation and pervasive arousal-withdrawal syndrome. We are dealing with a culture bound psychogenesis. Last modified May 26, 2019. Does the severity of an illness qualify the moral motivation to act? The condition affects predominately psychologically traumatized children and adolescents in the midst of a strenuous and lengthy migration process.[1]. [15] In March 2020, a report citing the Swedish Agency for Medical and Social Evaluation, SBU, said "There are no scientific studies that answer how to diagnose abandonment syndrome, nor what treatment works".[16]. Accordingly, these restrictive laws foster a feeling of uncertainty amongst previously traumatized refugee children as their expectations of staying in Sweden are shattered. One of these children was Karen, a twelve-year-old refugee from Eastern Europe and the oldest of three siblings. In the worst cases, children reject any food or drink and have to be fed by feeding tube;[1] the condition can persist for years. 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. Called Resignation Syndrome, it affects only the children of asylum-seekers, who 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. Charcot first suggested that hysteria had organic causes. When children witness violence or threats against a parent, their most significant connection in the world is ripped apart, the carers at Solsidan believe. (2019; Sweden: Netflix, 2019), Film. [10] Swedens Mystery Illness: Resignation Syndrome, Doctors of the World, last modified February 20, 2018, https://doctorsoftheworld.org/blog/swedens-mystery-illness-resignation-syndrome/. In an Anne Sexton poem I came across the word overtakes. Of course, none of the other words in our title were there, but that word seemed to capture something special. ", In order to protect the family's identity, Sophie's name has been changed. Read more: Accordingly, there must be another hypothesis that explains why Resignation Syndrome does not transcend past Swedish boundaries. [10], It has also been observed in refugee children transferred from Australia to the Nauru Regional Processing Centre. More psychologically minded explanations have compared resignation syndrome to pervasive refusal syndrome (also called pervasive arousal withdrawal A common explanation of the syndrome is that it is a reaction to stress and depression. It did feel otherworldly and mythological in this very fundamental and strange way, Samuelson comments. Dias, Joselito, and Iago Santiago. And we goof around a lot and dance and listen to music. As periods of time spent in these environments increase, mental health deteriorates. Read more: Even if they are tube-fed, we put them in the kitchen so they smell food," she says. That question brings us to the second part of the hypothesis, which has some similarities with the theory that the mother affects the child psychologically to exhibit symptoms: really have them, not only simulate them! It's a topic for research.". Several hundred cases have been reported, which in 2014 led the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare to introduce a new diagnosis: resignation syndrome. Thus, these refugee children may not have directly experienced this trauma, but when their parents project their trauma onto them, they subsequently identify with this sense of hopelessness, slowly recognizing the trauma as their own. Subsequently, in late 2016, a restrictive family reunification and asylum law came into force. In the case of Daria, a seven-year-old girl in the film, her father went on the run after government agents in an unspecified country (the filmmakers leave out such details to protect their subjects anonymity) threatened him over his internet company. While theyre there, Swedens taking care of themtheyre housed, they have medical care. The most serious stage of the disorder is when the child enters a state of profound withdrawal and is unconscious or in a comatose state. Researchers argue that culture-bound psychogenesis can accommodate the endemic distribution because children may learn that dissociation is a way to deal with trauma. 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. In the last fifteen years, hundreds of traumatized refugee children living in Sweden, but originating primarily from Slavic countries like Russia, have become afflicted. Free resources to assist you with your university studies! Sweden Was Among the Best Countries for Immigrants. Is climate change killing Australian wine? "The PTSD patient is stuck with reliving trauma, while in resignation syndrome, the person escapes it by withdrawal of awareness.". Some differential diagnoses to be excluded include severe depression, dissociative disorders and conversion disorders.[6][1][7]. Visit our Swedish-language blog, Etikbloggen, where we write about national issues. If this is true, it creates an ethical problem mentioned in the article. We've received widespread press coverage since 2003, Your UKEssays purchase is secure and we're rated 4.4/5 on reviews.io. Sweden: By Turns Welcoming and Restrictive in Its Immigration Policy. Migrationpolicy.org. Amid their immigration, Karen began exhibiting signs of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after the trauma he suffered. There are many factors contributing to trauma for child asylum seekers and refugees. Only a tiny number have been unaccompanied migrants, none have been African, and very few have been Asian. Last modified June 21, 2016. In more precise words, the hypothesis suggests that Resignation Syndrome could have been avoided if parents or other family members had provided sufficient mental health treatment for their children who had suffered from past trauma. 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! 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. "That is sort of implicit in the model. The children moreover seem to retain awareness, even though their immobility makes them seem unconscious. Another explanation is that the mother attempts to manage her trauma, her depression and her needs, by projecting her problems onto the child. Everything works normally. Of course, it is important to note that this could also be a coincidence as there is no proven correlation between the two. From simple essay plans, through to full dissertations, you can guarantee we have a service perfectly matched to your needs. The ongoing treatment involves promoting a sense of safety and supporting a process of "waking up" and engaging in trauma therapy." 2023 BBC. As the condition progresses, the child may stop talking and isolate themselves in bed, and may stop eating and drinking. In Australia, similar cases have been seen in children exposed to the distress of immigration centres. It is important to highlight that these are simply theoretical hypotheses, as there is not enough research on Resignation Syndrome to garner a definitive answer. There is no alternative to offering these children treatment: they cannot survive without tube feeding. Subscribe to Deadline Breaking News Alerts and keep your inbox happy. Resignation syndrome appears to be a very specialized response to the trauma of refugee limbo, in which families, many of whom have escaped dangerous circumstances in their home countries, wait to be granted legal permission to stay in their new country, often undergoing numerous refusals and appeals over a period of years. By all accounts, these children are genuinely ill. While awaiting a residency permit, a boy of Chechnyan descent deteriorated and was left bed-ridden, unresponsive and in need of feeding to sustain. To reiterate, it has been demonstrated that in the projection of the mother or fathers trauma onto their child, the son or daughter gradually recognizes the trauma as his or her own. Study for free with our range of university lectures! (2013). Last modified February 20, 2018. Write an article and join a growing community of more than 163,400 academics and researchers from 4,609 institutions. But the arrival of some 300,000 migrants in the last three years has led to a change of heart. It would mean a lot to families in our film, for families in general in that situation and hopefully to refugees facing trauma in other places to have the issue foregrounded, Haptas states. 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. So how could a child who loved to dance become so deeply inert? This blog is published by the Centre for Research Ethics & Bioethics (CRB) at Uppsala University. Russia launches missile attacks on Ukraine, Explosion derails train in Russian border region, JP Morgan snaps up troubled US bank First Republic. Accordingly, these refugee children who are assimilating into Swedish society and know the language well, have both their expectations and hopes of securely staying in the country, shattered. The largest studied group in Sweden found seriously physically ill, withdrawn children requiring hospitalisation and high level care. In the UK, a similar condition - Pervasive Refusal Syndrome - was identified in children in the early 1990s, but there have been only a tiny handful of cases, and none of them among asylum seekers. "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. To what extent it is physical, psychological or social is still being hotly debated in the pages of both medical journals and Scandinavian newspaper columns. The men let Sophie's mother go - she grabbed her daughter and ran. [5] At first, Do you have a 2:1 degree or higher? We see apathetic refugee children as symbols of our own moral failure to treat them and their families Overtakes. [I] started playing with that word, and Life Overtakes Me emerged. The Strange Illness Among Swedens Refugee 13. Resignation syndrome is a rare psychiatric condition that presents as a progressive social withdrawal and reluctance to engage in usual activities such as school Culture-Bound?. [2] A report published in August 2018 suggested there were at least 30. Signup for Breaking News Alerts & Newsletters. 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 when he later began to talk about psychological factors behind the symptoms, the number of cases of hysteria dropped. Thats Changing. Public Radio International. Even if they did have the economic capital, these refugee families are frequently in life-threatening circumstances; therefore, they do not have time to provide their child with this treatment. Soon afterwards, the family was informed they could not stay in Sweden. 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. Traumatic Withdrawal Syndrome (Resignation Syndrome), collection of examples from Australia in 2018, including reports from diverse patient populations in detention centers. Nola didnt resist the intrusion. For nearly two decades Sweden has been battling a mysterious illness. Amid that uncertainty, Karen fell ill again. When I explain to the parents what has happened, I tell them the world has been so terrible that Sophie has gone into herself and disconnected the conscious part of her brain. Resignation syndrome, called uppgivenhetssyndrom in Swedish, is an illness that causes people to shut down. So why is the syndrome common only in Sweden? The For Sophie's parents, that is hard to believe. 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. So we might take a little bit of Coca Cola, and put it in their mouth so they taste something sweet. Unfortunately, soon thereafter, the family was forced to re-apply. 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. "We keep the family informed about their progress, but we don't let them talk because the child must depend on our staff. Resignation syndrome might be part of a spectrum of different traumatic responses to instability and distress. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. "You need to harden your heart with these cases," says Sophie's paediatrician, Dr Lars Dagson, who has seen her regularly throughout her illness. If you want to think more about this puzzling question, I recommended a new article in Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, with Karl Sallin (PhD student at CRB) as first author. He doubts Sophie will recover in 13 months. An ENT surgeon before she retired, Hultcrantz is worried because Sophie does not ever open her mouth. More than 400 cases were reported in the two years from 2003-2005. Moreover, in certain circumstances, parents may not take notice of the trauma experienced by the child if they are still in shock or if they deny having experienced the trauma in the first place. Experts have proposed multifactorial explanatory models involving individual vulnerability, traumatization, migration, culturally conditioned reaction patterns and parental dysfunction or pathological adaption to a caregiver's expectations to interplay in pathogenesis. Read about our approach to external linking. Pr. In this scenario, the parents would not find mental health treatment necessary. These adolescents have frequently experienced physical or psychological trauma from their home countries, a factor that compelled their families to flee and seek asylum in Sweden. Remission happens after life circumstances improve and ensues with gradual return to what appears to be normal function.[1]. The filmmakers settled on the title for their short after a period of research and reflection. Karen, meanwhile, a 12-year-old boy seen in Life Overtakes Me, was nearly killed in an ambush that targeted his father. All conversations about the migration process are banned in front of the child. For nearly two decades Sweden has been battling a mysterious illness. Three days later, her father made contact, and from then on the family remained on the move, hiding in friends' homes until they left for Sweden three months later. Culture-Bound? The acute threat of deportation back to the place of the trauma re-activates their unbearable fear and stress and causes the catatonia-like condition. And helping the child's family is a key element of the treatment: "Resolution of the family's asylum issues and residence is a component.". Until a few years ago, having a child with resignation syndrome automatically qualified a family for asylum, at which point the child often recovered. Children are exposed to distress and despair in others around them and in their own parents. [5] At first, these affected children withdraw from social activities and slowly draw into themselves. Youre Not Alone, How To Stretch Your Hands, According To Physical Therapists, Trainers Say Walking 8,000 Steps A Day Is Just Fine, TYVM, Get Even More From Bustle Sign Up For The Newsletter. [7] In this state, the afflicted childrens parents are forced to feed them through feeding tubes and place their children in diapers as they are unable to walk. Such traumas may include rape of a family member, physical abuse, threats to the familys livelihood, or the witnessing of other forms of violence. There were reports the children were faking it, and that parents were poisoning their offspring to secure residence. "If you look at the very first case in 1998 in the north of Sweden, as soon as that case was reported, there were other cases emerging in the same area. They do not simulate total lack of willpower; like inability to eat, speak and move. Accordingly, this hypothesis may, in circumstances when the child has not personally experienced the trauma, explain why Resignation Systems occurs. Some experts think that children with resignation syndrome in Sweden and Australia are using the cultural cues around them to express their psychological distress, in the only way they know how. The health professionals who treat these children agree that trauma is what has caused them to withdraw from the world. This essay argues that Sweden, a country known previously for its generous immigration laws, has recently become stricter, including a greater rate of denying asylum to asylum seekers. This could be dangerous, because if there were a problem with her feeding tube, Sophie could choke. [16] In doing so, the mothers sense of hopelessness is no longer projected upon Dasha, thereby, reawakening [her] lust for life.[17]. [18] In light of this influx of immigrants, anti-immigrant sentiments began to grow in Sweden, causing the Swedish government to institute border controls. "I can't say it's not possible, but it all depends how the parents sense this - are we going to stay after these 13 months? [8] Only after tests were run, was it shown that there was neither outside manipulation nor were the kids faking the illness, these children were seriously sick. Resignation syndrome might be a new name and cultural variation for a very old idea. He became paranoid, frequently thinking there was someone outside trying to shoot them. "All children have such a previous trauma from their home country and many have developed PTSD. Similar behaviors were also observed during the Holocaust; in his Frontiers article, Karl Sallin describes the phenomenon of the "muselmann" in Nazi concentration camps, in which people without hope began refusing food and entered a catatonic state. A young Russian girl named Dasha gradually became afflicted with Resignation Syndrome after her family fled to Sweden. She cried, shouted "Please go and find my dad! The problem is again: traumatized refugee families exist all around the world. Culture-Bound? Recent legal action resulted in urgent medical evacuation of a child in an unconscious state following a progressive social withdrawal and failure to speak, eat or drink. Verdouw, Emily, and Lane Sainty. 26 October 2017. Meanwhile, the younger siblings are not as aware of the family struggles and trauma nor are they exposed to it as much. [2] For example, 424 cases were reported between 2003 and 2005[7] and 2.8% of all 6,547 asylum applications submitted for children were diagnosed in 2004. "And they give up hope, because they know they are totally dependent on the parent. Hultcrantz tests Sophie's reflexes. The longest time it took for a child to recover was six months. 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. Either their families request for asylum is denied, they are not granted permanent residency, or they receive a notice of imminent deportation. [2], The phenomenon has been called into question, with two children reporting that they were forced by their parents to act apathetic in order to increase chances of being granted residence permits. Here is the link to the Connecticut movie showings: https://www.courant.com/ctnow/movies/hc-ctnow-movie-oscar-shorts-hartford-manchester-danbury-20200127-qtjbqegysbgs5o7mft345akx4q-story.html, Your email address will not be published. There has been much discussion about the so-called apathetic children in families seeking asylum in Sweden. Resignation Syndrome: Catatonia? In contrast, her hair is thick and shiny - like a healthy child's. Making the film, she says, became a very important way to be showing and thinking about the crisis these kids are in, the physical and mental crisis that theyre in emotionally when they are faced with this horrifying trauma..
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